The Riches of Pandora: Part 1 Manifest Destiny
by PenLogiK
Summary: Manifest Destiny. What does it mean and what price must be paid for it to be realized. How far would you go to earn a dollar or save your world. How far would you go to settle a score, seek justice, or become infamous. Is love enough to change the world or must it ally with revenge to achieve its goal. Part One: Manifest Destiny is all here for you to read, critic, and enjoy.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Date: 30 October 2154

Personal Log: Dr. Norman Spellman

As I recall my Shakespeare…

"_All the world's a stage,_

_And all the men and women merely players;_

_They have their exits and their entrances,_

_And one man in his time plays many parts…"_

I wonder what Shakespeare would have said about an Avatar? Perhaps he'd say it's just another part that must be played.

What about Avatar Science? After the events of the past few weeks, I'm not sure what the future holds for it. The Na'vi have allowed some of us to stay, so we can continue our studies on Pandora and of their culture. Going home for some of us wasn't an option anyway. The remaining Avatar drivers, myself included, will be vital to any possible success at unlocking Pandora's secrets. Humanity needs to understand those secrets if it hopes to survive. I just pray we don't ruin Pandora in the process.

So here I am…in charge. I feel overwhelmed by all of these changes and somewhat alone. My Avatar has two more weeks before he's fully healed and I only see Jake occasionally. I really miss Grace and Trudy. It's only been a couple of months, and already Hell's Gate demands are more than a few remaining scientists can provide. It seems like every day something breaks down that we don't know how to fix, and a manual only explains so much. What I would give for a mechanic or an engineer right now.

Which brings me to the future and the U.N. science team on their way to Pandora. It's a good thing I decided to read through Grace's private journals. Otherwise we wouldn't have known they were coming until they got here. I know it was a secret and I guess it wouldn't have changed anything if she had told us about them.

Nonetheless they're almost here and I have no idea if they'll even be allowed to step foot on Pandora. I'm also concerned about the mission commander's less than enthusiastic attitude. I wonder if he ever worked for RDA? Grace was pretty adamant in her disapproval of this guy being sent to Pandora.

Unfortunately, when I tried to hack into their private messages they were corrupted. However, the few references she made in her logs about him provide a good first impression that can be summed up with one word: 'asshole.' I wouldn't be surprised if they've made the trip for nothing.

With Jake's incredible transition, and our incomplete understanding of Pandora's biological network, this scientist finds it difficult to calculate the consequences, if any, for Jake. The change has taken Avatar science into the realm of the spirit and the soul.

I personally witnessed the Na'vi do something that as far as I know is still only a theory in Human medicine and believed to be totally impossible with hybrid Avatars. However, the reality can't be denied. As far as I can tell, everything that makes Jake who he is now resides permanently in the body of what used to be a mindless Avatar. It isn't an Avatar any longer; it's a complete Na'vi who is Jake Sully. He's not only an Omaticaya. He's their clan leader, their Olo'eyktan.

I wonder if the RDA knew about the science mission? I can't imagine them not knowing about it. I wonder if that's why they were in such a hurry to expand their control over Pandora? What does the government and RDA fear so much to keep a science mission secret in the first place?

There are so many unanswered questions…and I'm not sure I want to know the answer to some of them.

Dr. Norm Spellman

Exobiology Chief (Acting)

Hell's Gate, Pandora


	2. Ch1: Carnival

**Chapter 1 – Carnival**

February 2148…

It was a warm and humid night in Rio de Janeiro the air thick with the sights and sounds of Carnival. Thousands of tourists and local residents crowded the streets and the air lanes overhead enjoying the night's festivities. As midnight tolled, almost two hundred specially designed floodlights turned on in sequence at the city's center representing every nation on Earth. As the final toll rang, they converged into a single beam of light shining into the heavens above, visible from space stations high in Earth's orbit. The official change of headquarters for the United Nations was now complete, making Rio the world's central hub for global politics for the next twenty years. In a celebration on par with any Olympic ceremony, church bells rang, fireworks lit up the sky, and conspiracies were put in motion, as the festive mood of Carnival continued throughout the night.

Mia, a young Italian woman, sat in her car watching the fireworks explode in the air high above the city. She was nervous, with beads of perspiration upon her otherwise sensual facial features, as she kept watch for someone special. Occasionally, a passerby would knock on her window waving at her, beckoning her to come join the party, but she politely declined. She was waiting here because she was told to wait at this time. So where was she? Mia wondered.

She considered switching on her augmented view of Carnival, but she was following the directions she was given to the letter. Her brother's life depended on her getting this right. Finally, there was a knock on the passenger side window. Mia muttered to herself, "It's her. Thank you Lord." She kissed the crucifix hanging around her neck and tucked it back into her blouse and said, "Open passenger door." The car's passenger side door swung up as it opened to reveal the figure of a woman. Without delay she got into the car. She was about 5'6, blond hair, fair complexion, with a healthy physique. Mia said, "Hi love, where have you been? I've been waiting here forever!"

Ute looked at her for a moment, not answering. Finally she leaned over and kissed Mia on the lips once, then a second time more slowly. Mia's body relaxed, her anxiety faded. At last Ute said, "I got the information about Reginald, do you have what they asked for? Please tell me you got it, sweetheart."

Mia suddenly looked stressed again. With fear in her eyes she replied, "Yes, I have it, just like I was told to do." She nervously handed Ute a small flash drive. "Ute, will this get my brother released?"

Ute smiled and replied, "All they told me was if you gave it to me, I was to give you this flash drive in return. It's supposed to have directions on how to find Reginald. I just do what I'm told honey, you know that. It's a job for me, but you're someone special." Ute smiled passionately at Mia. Ute pulled a small devise from her purse and connected it to Mia's drive. It confirmed the data was there, just as Mia said.

Ute leaned forward with the flash drive in her left hand that held the data on Mia's brother. She kissed Mia again even more passionately this time, as she placed the drive into her hands. Mia's attention was distracted. Ute used her right hand to take a small object from her purse. She slipped it just under the dash. Mia didn't notice, focused on Ute's embrace and French kiss. A moment later, Ute leaned back into her seat and said, "Be sure to follow the directions. Give me one hour to give this to them before you start following them. Ok?" Mia nodded in agreement, tears slipping down her cheek.

Ute said, "It's going to be ok, honey. Let me deliver this and I'll meet you in the morning for coffee. By then Reginald will be safely home with you." Mia nodded again; so emotional she was at a loss for words. Ute opened the car door and looked back at Mia as tears swelled up in her eyes. She leaned over to Mia and very gingerly kissed her one last time. She whispered, "I'm sorry this happened darling," then she quickly got out of the car. She just stood there, as Mia drove away.

Ute watched, as the car first appeared to be merging into the air lanes above the street level. It swerved to one side and then the other, barely avoiding the oncoming traffic. Finally, it accelerated and smashed head on into a high-rise building. The car hit with such force it exploded on impact. Ute muttered under her breath, "Sweet dreams, honey. You're with your brother now."

Sirens could be heard in the distance rushing toward the scene of the accident. Ute pulled her sunglasses out and put them on as she started walking down the sidewalk. She activated her augmented view and the world turned even more surreal with the carnival going on around her.

With the movement of her eyes she accessed a secure link and said, "I have the item and it's authentic. Advise our benefactors that we can commence the next phase."

A man's voice replied, "I understand. Good work. I believe you have a ship to catch."

She chuckled, and replied in a conceited tone, "Something like that. As soon as my data upload is complete, I'll sever the link so your people can dispose of the remains. Until then, I think I'll enjoy the party." The line disconnected without a reply.

As Ute walked down the street, people continued to party and celebrate. None of them seemed to notice as her hair turned purple, her skin changed to a dark tan, she striped out of her clothes, discarding them as she walked until all she wore was a Burlesque-style skin tight outfit, perfect for Carnival. She blended into the crowd and began to dance with strangers, never to be seen again.

Despite closed circuit camera footage from multiple angles of her exiting the car just before Mia died, the police never found the mysterious woman seen in the footage. Within a few days, even the camera footage vanished from the police evidence locker. It became a cold case with no evidence and no suspect. It was an unfortunate tragedy in a city that had just inherited a world of dark secrets, powerful intrigues, and political corruption for many years to come.

Secrets and intrigues that would stretch clear across the stars…


	3. Ch2: Two Pints for Your Thoughts

**Chapter 2 – Two Pints for Your Thoughts**

Two years earlier…

It was almost ten o'clock in the evening as Joel sat huddled over a half drunk pint of beer at a corner table in a crowded Boston pub called the Bull and Finch. It was a mild winter night outside and the streets were bustling with locals and tourists alike. Joel sat quietly and watched the pub crowd around him while he kept to himself. He occasionally looked up and out of the pub's window next to his table where he could see the old "Cheers" sign and beyond the hazy features of a full moon barely visible through the thick smog of the city.

In the background somewhere ten o'clock tolled on what sounded like an antique wall clock. Joel nervously kept an eye on his watch and the hostess as she sat late patrons to the pub. He wondered if the information he'd acquired was worth the price he'd paid. After all, the men he waited for were not known for being late, not even to their own happy hour. Joel split his attention between the window view of the stairwell just outside and the bar crowd. He made every attempt to avoid eye contact but he kept noticing two pretty girls eyeing him from the bar. He thought to himself if he wasn't working how much fun he might have with those two pop tarts. As quick as the thought crossed his mind, he pulled himself back to business. He turned his attention back to the stairwell. He saw both of them.

As they walked down the stairs, Joel got up from his table, picked up his beer, and wiped off the table as he headed for the door. Along the way he swallowed the last of his beer and sat the pint glass down on the side bar. As he walked past the girls, they both winked at him with interest but Joel was good at his trade and simply smiled at them as he walked past and approached the hostess.

The hostess nodded at him as he walked up and Joel returned the nod with a smile and with a boisterous voice he said, "Time for me to go, sweetheart." He swaggered from side to side a little to give the impression he was less than sober. She smiled back at him just as two older gentlemen came through the door, both involved in their own discussion. Joel stealthily pointed at the two men without them noticing and slipped the girl several credits for her time and cooperation. She glanced down at them below her hostess stand and grinned. She looked back up and mouthed the words, "Thanks for the tip" and smiled just as the two men stepped up to the stand.

The first man asked, "We'd like a private booth if you have one available." Joel stepped aside and nodded at the two men as he walked passed them and out the door. He overheard the hostess, "Of course, gentlemen. I have a nice corner table that just opened up, follow me." The men proceeded to follow her to their seats. Along the way one them commented how he'd always liked to have a beer in this old bar.

Several minutes later…

Joel had taken a brisk walk around the block and returned to the Bull and Finch. He found a spot right next to the old "Cheers" sign at the top of the steps that lead down to the pub. He glanced down and there they were, both of the men he'd passed coming out of the pub earlier. They were seated and apparently engaged in deep conversation at the table he'd been at earlier.

With tact and keen dexterity, he slipped a small device out of his trench coat pocket unnoticed. It looked sort of like a small magic wand. He placed it up in the armpit of his coat, mostly obscured from view, and pointed toward the men downstairs. With his free hand he controlled it with a tiny holo pad that resembled a music player and he listened with a set of old-fashioned wired ear buds.

To any passersby Joel simply looked like someone leaning on the rail listening to music as he occasionally tapped his foot to add realism. In reality, he was tuned into the men's conversation down in the pub and they were none the wiser. Joel relaxed against the railing as he eavesdropped on the men who had just finished their first round of beer.

Downstairs in the Bull and Finch…

Marcus Hall and Ezekiel LeMay had just started on their second round of beer when Marcus stated, "I've heard enough. I didn't expect you to take sides but it's over. She's got the job, even though I still think Vittori's experience…"

Ezekiel interjected, "I know how you feel about it, but there had to be a consensus in the decision and Lopez was it."

Marcus took a swig of his beer and nodded, "Zek, I just hope to God you and the rest of the experts are right about her."

Zek grinned, "Can we change the subject?"

Marcus's frown turned into a grin, "Hell, yes. We came in here to relax."

Zek laughed, "Sometimes I think you can be as stubborn as one of those damned M.E. activists."

Marcus leaned back and chuckled. After a few seconds he leaned forward over the table toward Zek and whispered, "I admit being passionate about my job but my zeal for it doesn't compare to one of those loony Mother Earth fanatics." Marcus took another swig of beer, burped, and grinned. "I can't believe you just compared me to one of those nut jobs."

Both men sniggered. Zek said, "Well apparently their nuttiness made the news again. RDA's Lunar Security busted another cell of them…"

Marcus cut Zek off, "Too close to work talk. Let's chat about something closer to home." Zek fell silent as he recognized the curious expression on Marcus's face was about to lead to a topic he'd rather avoid. Zek stared down into his beer and took several stout swigs from it in hope it would discourage the question but it didn't work.

Finally, after several more swallows of beer Marcus asked, "Well Zek? Did you finally do it?"

Zek's hands began to fidget while his expression took on a hint of nervousness as he looked up from his beer. He leaned forward and replied with a softer tone in his voice, "Yes. I told her in my last message."

A strange look crossed Marcus's face. "You're kidding me?"

Zek said, "no, I did it, despite all the pestering advice from you and the others. You just have to understand it's hard to apologize. Especially to my ex."

Marcus grinned, "I know it's hard but in your case I think she'll understand. The only part that bothers me was the fact that your last message was secure."

Zek developed a big smirk on his face as he leaned back and took a swig of his beer. "Yep and she accepted my apology and one day she'll remember it."

Marcus replied, "I'm not sure if that's foolish or bold but I guess you'll find out when you get there."

Zek said, "I think she'll understand, especially since I can argue it was for her own safety. Of course, she has so many other things to worry about with the legitimate part of her mission approved and all. I have to admit Marcus, the bio-encrypt software you gave me worked better than I expected. I used the test phrases you gave me from the last session and she didn't know what I was talking about. It's kind of weird to think that we've had several conversations about the special aspects of the science station's mission and she won't remember any of it 'til I get there. That's a pretty amazing brain game if you ask me. Don't worry, I'll be sure to tell her it was your idea."

Marcus grinned. "Actually, the technology is old hat. It's getting it to work over a superluminal channel that's new and that was Tom's idea."

Zek interjected, "I'm glad we were able to get him and Nathan together again over at M.I.T."

Marcus replied, "looks like the trip was worth it."

Suddenly Zek frowned, "I guess they talk the same language because I couldn't get him to even answer my damned calls."

Marcus took a sip of his beer, "sometimes a father has to step back and let someone else do the talking." Both of the men just stared at one another for a moment as Marcus' words sank in.

With a more serious tone Zek said, "The question is how long will he stay on board, eh? We're about to begin the final phase of the project if everything remains on schedule. To add, there are still a lot of things that have to fall into place for this to work. It's a fucking miracle we've managed to keep a project of this complexity under wraps this long."

Marcus quickly whispered, "little lower my friend." He glanced around at the pub crowd, all of whom appeared oblivious to their conversation.

Zek smiled and in a lower tone continued, "Sometimes Marcus, you're just way too paranoid."

Marcus laughed. "It's in the job description." Marcus grew serious and lifted a glass for a toast. "To a vigilant future." Zek stared at Marcus for a second and then raised his glass and bumped it to Marcus'. "Indeed and absent friends." They both finished their beers and burped in near unison before their empty glasses reached the table.

Zek said, "You've finally had a couple of beers at the Bull and Finch. You ready to head out?"

Marcus nodded and both men stood up to go pay their tab.

Joel quickly put his listening device away and started walking out on the crowded Boston Commons where an open-air concert had just concluded. It was no trouble for him to blend into the crowd. Along the way, he pulled out a small holo pad and placed a call to an unlisted address. An older male voice answered, as the video image on the pad remained blank with only two words pulsating in red, "Image Blocked." In a deep confident tone the voice said, "You have something for me?"

While Joel walked he whispered, "Accept encrypted data upload with this call for assignment 'North Church'."

The voice replied, "Understood."

Joel continued, "Made contact with subject 'Heavy Man,' as expected. I detected several keywords of interest that have been uplinked with this call for your review." There was a short pause as Joel checked around him to ensure no one in his immediate vicinity was following him. He continued, "I recommend two lanterns, I repeat, two."

There was a short pause on the line but finally the voice replied, "very well then. It's by sea. Your services are no longer required. Do you agree?"

Joel replied, "I concur and Zee, I consider us squared. Good luck with your personal project and don't call me again." Joel ended the call. He wiped the holo pad's memory, shattered the holo glass across his knee, and dropped it in a nearby storm drain.

Joel glanced around to see if anyone had observed his actions. As with any big city everyone tended to mind their own business and tonight was no different. The crowd paid him no attention. He pulled his coat hood up over his head and quietly walked off into the dimly lit coble stone streets of Beacon Hill.


	4. Ch3: In God We Trust

**Chapter 3 – In God We Trust…**

September 2148…

Out at the edge of Earth's solar system, aboard a small inconspicuous space station with no transponder or markings, a lonely individual sat at his favorite beach bar and enjoyed a margarita. As Russell took in the afternoon breeze, the smell of rum floated across the air, along with the conversations of some of the bar's other patrons. The one thing out of place in this otherwise pleasant and relaxing setting was a small arm band device similar to a digital watch affixed to his left arm. It began to buzz and an amber hued light pulsated as it competed for his attention.

As Russell sat there at the bar, he half-heartedly listened to a couple of ladies talk about the latest fashions and a recent romantic comedy they had both recently enjoyed. His attention was actually focused on the fact they were totally gorgeous and wearing small French bikinis, then he noticed the pulsating alarm on his arm. He put down his margarita and his mood turned serious, and he said, "Ladies I need to take this call, please excuse me." They nodded as he walked away down the beach toward the water.

He said, "Yes Molly?" A digitized female voice replied, _"Russell, I'm sorry for cutting into your recreational time, but Max has some important information that he needs to share with you. He says it's urgent." _ Russell stood on the beach a moment and considered his answer, finally he said, "Very well, I'm on my way." He looked into the distance back toward the beach bar and yelled, "Sorry girls, I have to go to work, catch up with you next time." They smiled and waved, as their images faded, until he was the only person standing on the beach. Russell, looked up and down the beach and eventually said aloud, "Molly, save program and discontinue." The beach vanished, leaving only an empty room. He quickly changed out of his swim trunks and into a jumpsuit.

Russell proceeded to the vault, as it was called. It resided in a heavily shielded section of the station, and as he walked up in front of the hatch he entered his access code and pressed his hand against the biometric reader. He said, "It's just rock'n roll to me." A digitized male voice replied, _"Access granted, Senior Analyst Russell Murphy."_ The hatch opened, and Russell strolled inside, and the hatch immediately sealed behind him. Russell said, "Ok Max, what do you have for me?" Once inside, the room was filled with a plethora of advanced computers, black screens, blank halo consoles, and communications equipment.

Max said, _"Please authenticate before I continue."_ Russell reached over to a pouch hanging on the wall and took out a pair of dark glasses and put them on. The room came to life as the glasses attached themselves to his brow. Max said, _"Thank you Mr. Murphy, your DNA has matched my records, and your clearance is authenticated."_ Suddenly, Russell could see all the information on the holo screens and the streams of communications data that flowed seamlessly through the air in three dimensions, from computer to computer. Russell walked over to the center console where a pulsating amber light indicated something special needed his attention. He reached into the data stream and pulled out the information with his hands.

After a moment of manipulating the data, he spread it out in the air in front of him, to review it. It was a combination of signal, imagery, instrument, and human intelligence that Max had prepared for Russell, based on specially designed and highly classified models and algorithms. The data showed a very interesting pattern of activity for two spaceships located in quadrant two of the outer solar system.

As Russell perused the data, he occasionally scratched his head, which suggested he was deeply concerned and confused at what he saw in the information. As he read over it, he reached over to a nearby desk, where he'd left his coffee earlier that day. He took a sip of it, despite the fact it was cold, it was coffee and he liked it. Finally, he said, "I agree Max, this pattern of activity looks like something our people would like to follow up on in detail. It's funny; both space miners have ignored their authorized flight plans. Both of them are on different courses, but based on your extrapolations they're on extra-solar trajectories that will take them out of the system. Where the hell are they going would be my next question? According to these power readings, they've both found an interstellar engine somewhere and that's even stranger."

It took several more minutes for Russell to double check his facts, he finally said, "Max I concur with your assessment that special handling is needed. I approve priority transmission." Max replied, _"Understood Mr. Murphy. Priority transmission has commenced."_ Russell took another sip of his coffee as he took his glasses off and the room returned to its normal, cold metallic appearance.

Russell sat his coffee cup down on the desk and noticed how wore out it appeared. He mumbled, "Next time I'm back at HQ I need to get a new coffee cup." He glanced at it once more, and noticed the only thing left on the old coffee cup that he could make out were the words, "In God We Trust, All Others…" the rest of the words and emblem had been rubbed off. He thought to himself, "Who am I kidding, I'd rather loose a limb than replace this crusty old cup." He finished the cold cup of coffee and said, "Max, while we wait for confirmation how bout we hear some tunes!" as he proceeded to make a fresh pot of hot coffee.


	5. Ch4: The Decision

**Chapter 4 – The Decision**

Date: September 29, 2154

Location: RDA Corporate Headquarters, New York City.

It was a special gathering of the entire board of directors for RDA. Normally, the whole board only gathered four times a year, but this occasion was special, it was about the crisis that had just taken place on Pandora and the fate of their mining operation and personnel.

Nearly two-dozen individuals sat around a large impressive conference table made of rare oak wood. All of the executive chairs and room furnishings matched the table. Only three, the Chairman included, were actually present in the flesh. The rest were just holographic avatars of the executives. The members of the board appeared as a menagerie of cultures, English business suits and Arabic Dishdashahs among other cultural styles expressed the diversity of RDA's Board of Directors.

The walls were lined with a combination of halo screens scrolling the latest business news and expensive one of a kind art pieces. On one side of the room, there were large tented windows with a view of New York City and the Statue of Liberty in the distance. A large three-dimensional image of Pandora orbiting Polyphemus floated over the center of the conference table. The room exuded the feel of power to anyone who visited it.

As the final reports were read by the seemingly never ending line of briefers, the board appeared restless at what they'd just heard. It seemed the company had lost their most prized possession, not to mention hundreds of billions of dollars in equipment, and most disturbing, over 500 of their employees. Just as the final briefer finished her statements, the Chairman said with a heavy, sad tone, "Thank you Miss Fry for your report, you may go now." The young woman nodded, and her avatar image faded away.

Chairman Ronald Selfridge was a man of advanced years with a sort of regal appearance about him. His hair was a mixture of brown and gray, with chiseled facial features. He was clearly the most respected of the executives present in the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen that concludes the briefings with regard to the incident on Pandora. I need you back here next Wednesday morning, same time, with a report from each of your departments on impact and cost assessments related to this matter. As well I'll be holding a public press conference on Friday afternoon just before the markets close to provide our official reaction to these absurd accusations of genocide on Pandora. You're dismissed; try to have good day." There was some grumbling among the members of the board, but slowly each and every one of them vanished.

The room was quiet now, as only Chairman Selfridge and two young executives Terrance (Terry) Chu, Vice President of Special Projects, and Allison McIntosh, Vice President of Interstellar Logistics and Planning remained at the table. After a few moments, silence permeated the room and Ronald said, "OK folks, why don't you move down here a little closer and call in your special briefer." Both Terry and Allison got up and moved down the table to sit near the Chairman as a conservatively dressed yet exotically beautiful young woman strolled into the room. The door automatically closed behind her after she entered the room.

Terry said, "Mr. Chairman, I'd like to introduce Miss Angela Yeager. She's the Director for Project Shell Game." Ronald nodded at her, pointed to a chair near him, and said, "Miss Yeager, please have a seat this is an informal meeting today." She replied, "Yes sir. Thank you." She glanced at Terry and Allison as she sat down while she gauged their mood. She'd already been briefed on the crisis and could tell it had affected the Chairman deeply by his body language.

Ronald said in a louder tone, "Moni." A digitized female voice said, _"Yes Chairman Selfridge, how may I help you?" _ Ronald replied, "Moni, please engage security protocol for a private meeting." Moni said, _"Of course Chairman I have engaged the protocol. All recording devices are now disabled, communications security enabled, physical security lockdown confirmed. Enjoy your private meeting; when you are ready to end lockdown, just enter your PIN code."_ Embedded in the table a small numeric keypad appeared in front of the Chairman. It pulsated a dim, white light illuminating the numbers as it waited for the PIN to be entered to end the meeting.

After a moment of thought, Ronald glanced at Terry, then Allison. He focused in on Angela and said, "As you all know, we lost our terrestrial mining operation on Pandora. No need to get into the details again, I think we all know them by now. The question is…what about Shell Game? Should we recall it or let it carry on with its mission"

Allison was the first to speak, "Sir, as for the logistics of the project, the ships are self-contained. Although it would have been nice to have an RDA security presence on Pandora when they arrived. It was never a necessity from my standpoint or a showstopper in their absence."

Terry interjected, "Sir, I agree with Allison's assessment. My team has worked diligently to ensure the success and appropriate plausible deniability for RDA. I see no reason not to continue the project, especially since Shell Game would represent Earth's only source of unobtanium for the foreseeable future."

Ronald leaned back in his executive chair and rubbed his thin beard as he considered their words. "When this plan was first showed to me, it expected for us to still have a presence, alongside the government people that are heading there now. With our base gone, it leaves us no direct means by which to influence the government officials on the ground. So what's your contingency plan for them? I doubt they'll just sit there and allow the miners to carry out their plans. Conflict will become an unavoidable consequence and we don't need the bad press."

As she glanced at Terry, Angela spoke up, "Sir, I've already drawn up a plan to enable us to take control of Pandora. I believe the Boards consensus in the past has been that the government should never have gotten involved to start with, so we have arranged for an incident that will ensure the government will spend years debating their next step." Ronald said, "Incident?" Terry interjected, "Sir, it's best you leave those details to us so it provides you with a level of plausible deniability in the event their were some unforeseen issues come up." Ronald just nodded.

After a short pause Terry continued, "As well sir, according to our contacts in the government, their plans to construct an interstellar version of their Regulator class vessels are still several years away. That leaves only the RDA to keep order on the frontier. In the end they will thank us for our efforts and your foresight of leadership."

After a few moments, while the group still digested Terry's answers, Allison said, "Sir, I'd like to add that we are safe with regard to corporate espionage activities related to the space miners. As far as our competitors know, it was a simple mutiny situation, which has been known to happen before on deep space missions. I have an individual who specializes in propaganda manipulation tasked with ensuring the negative effects of the thefts lands at the feet of our competitor. It will both ensure their silence in the press and may even bankrupt them in the long run."

Ronald said, "In that case, I suppose we'll stay with the plan for Project Shell Game. However, I want quarterly reports now, especially since this venture appears to be our way back into the unobtanium mining business. At least for the foreseeable future." Everyone chuckled in unison at what Ronald had said. He continued, "This fiasco last month is going to be with us a long time. We need to focus on rebuilding profits. That's what the stockholders are interested in people, so lets make it happen." All nodded in agreement.

Angela said, "Sir there's one other piece of uncomfortable business we need to discuss." Ronald turned his attention to her, "Yes, what would that be?" She said, "We have one serious loose end that could put our operation in jeopardy; administrator Parker Selfridge. Both Mr. Selfridge and his security chief Miles Quaritch were provided an overview brief on Project Shell Game."

Angela paused a moment to allow her point to sink in. She continued, "Sir, I understand your relationship, but respectfully, you do realize the failure of the colony on Pandora will be laid at his feet." There was a long silence in the room as Ronald just stared at Angela.

Finally, Terry spoke up, "She has a point, sir. Not only will Parker be dragged before dozens of government hearings and possibly prosecuted; he is the only vulnerability that threatens the success of the project. As much as I wish it wasn't so, he is a loose end that could spell disaster for not only the project, but for the whole of RDA."

Ronald sat still in his chair. His face had turned pale, his body rigid with anxiety. "You're talking about my son!" Angela interjected, "Adopted son." Ronald snapped back, "That doesn't mean a damn thing; he's still my son." Allison said, "Nothing about this business is easy, but we do it not just for the good of our stockholders but every human being. Earth needs Pandoran unobtanium, and as much as I hate it, I have to agree with Angela and Terry on this one. If we are to go forward with Shell Game, then Parker is a liability that must be dealt with. If you can't make the decision, then I suggest we recall them now and forget about the whole endeavor."

After several moments, sweat beads formed on Ronald's forehead. He finally assented, "Ok, do what you have to do. Your right, sacrifice is necessary for the good of RDA and because Earth needs the unobtanium "

Angela continued, "It can't be an easy decision, but I think you're doing the right thing in this case. Parker's sacrifice isn't just for RDA; it's for all of humanity." Allison interjected, "I double checked the records before this meeting. With the exception to an estimated 15% cargo on ISV Venture Star, that leaves us with ISV Capital Star, which is expected to arrive home in about seven months. After that, unless someone miraculously discovers the wreck of the ISV Noble Star, there's no more unobtanium until Shell Game can mine it and send it home."

With frustration in his voice, Ronald said "Very well people. We've discussed this enough for now. The decision is made. We'll stay the course. Terry when you have a plan drawn up for Parker, I want to see it. Understand?" Terry said with a somewhat compassionate tone in his voice, "Of course sir. I'll make it happen and it will be quick and painless." Ronald started to speak, but didn't. Instead he just half-heartedly nodded at Terry.

Several moments passed and finally Ronald said, "Dismissed people. Get back to work." He punched some numbers into the keypad on the table and Moni said, _"Security protocols released, have a nice day Chairman Selfridge."_


	6. Ch5: Stains of Regret

**Chapter 5 – Stains of Regret**

March 28, 2155…The Present.

Marcus had just sat down at his computer in his home study after an evening out for dinner with his grandchildren in Montreal. While he perused through his messages, he came across one from Nakia, Nathan's executive officer. It was marked personal and urgent. He opened it.

From: %%%%%%%

To: **********

Date: ERROR (Data Corruption Detected)

Subj: ############

Marcus,

#### I'm sorry to bother you with this, but I'm worried about Nathan. Ever since he got the news, he's not been himself. ### I know you've already been briefed, so I'm keeping this short. ##$$# I've hacked Juno to allow me to send this message on the superluminal comms system without a record, because I don't want Nathan to find it. $$$ You and I both know how hard he took his father's death and now it's even worse. I've attached a copy of one of Nathan's old personal log entries. According to Juno, he's been looking at it daily, some days multiple times. /$\\\ It's not healthy Marcus, and he doesn't seem to want to talk to Sheila, Adam, or me about it. Even Dr. Taylor has tried with no luck. I hope you can help. Got to go, please see the attachment. %%%

At the end of the message, there was an attached document. Marcus selected it to open and he carefully read its contents…

**Date: 10 November 2148**

Finally, it was the end of the day. The sort of day you can't see coming until it slaps you right in the face. I had gotten the letter at work early this morning. It was real paper. The moment it was handed to me, I just held it in my hands and stared at it a moment. I don't recall if I even thanked the courier for it. I doubt he minded, since these days only bad news comes in the form of a real paper letter.

I, on the other hand, was tied up analyzing the final battlefield test results for the latest Man-O-War design, so I pushed the thoughts away for a few hours. My parents had always taught me how important it was not to let your emotions get in the way of your work, and since the letter was almost certainly about one of them, I honored their advice.

However, all days eventually come to an end. The results matched our simulations perfectly. The system was ready to be deployed to the field. We declared success as my lab staff and I held a short celebration with glasses of champagne before going home. We all knew this success would conclude the project and the new models would go to production within a matter of months. The team invited me to go out with them for some drinks after work, some of them already clamoring about adding this project's success to their resumes and updating their profiles online.

I had a letter to read. Graciously, I declined their invites and went home. I picked up some Chinese takeout along the way. Living on Earth again had provided me with constant reminders of my turbulent youth: listening to my parents argue and then make up, most of the time for the benefit of my sister and I. We always thought it was just their way of showing their love. They tried hard to be civil to one another and hold an otherwise dysfunctional family together, but as my sister and I got older we could see the difference. It's probably why Dad worked so many late nights with his research.

Finally, it came down to one last big argument. An argument I don't think either of them ever knew I overheard. My sister had left the year before to study medicine at Stanford University in California. Not long after that last argument, against their wishes but with their reluctant support, I left for the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England. It was the last time I ever saw both of them together pretending to be happy, as I boarded the train. My last act of teenage rebellion was complete.

I hadn't been gone three months, before they officially divorced. My mother took a job off world and my father went back to his research as if nothing had happened. I would call it a classical case of denial. Over time he grew distant from his own children. Eventually my sister got married and moved to Mars with her husband. I almost got married once, it just didn't work out. Probably too many deployments, both of us chasing our careers, I guess.

It's strange how life teaches you the hard lessons and allows you to figure the rest out for yourself. As a child I didn't understand why my parents couldn't get along, but as an adult I understood all to well the situation they were in. My discontent toward them waned as the years passed, but that didn't change the gulf that had grownup between us. Despite my departure from military service and embrace of science, the wall between my parents and I remained.

I had just finished my dinner when I walked over and picked up the letter, I wondered a moment if my sister, Michelle, had already gotten a similar letter. Probably not, otherwise I would have heard from her by now. I slowly opened the letter, careful not to rip it, and read it line by line, as tears began to swell up in my eyes. I read it a second time to be sure, and then I fell across my bed, crying in a way I hadn't cried since I was a little boy.

Despite the wall that had grown up between us, I still loved my Father. Now all of the things I should have said can't be said. It's too late for that. It's too late to be there for him. However, if Hall's offer was still open, maybe I could still find some redemption out there. I cried so much my eyelids grew heavy. My thoughts were a chaotic mixture of memories as they raced through my mind. My teary eyes finally closed and I slept.

_When I awoke, I was standing in a corridor with large round windows behind me. I recognized the corridor. It was a part of the observation deck on Serenity Space Station in Earth orbit. I was alone. Normally this corridor would be busy with tourists. I looked down and realized I was naked. I suddenly felt a chill in the air. I could hear the argument, the last argument I overheard my parents having so many years ago. I tried to call out to them but nothing came out. Then, I noticed across the promenade a young boy. He was dressed in a 17th century colonial era French uniform and carried a marching drum. As if from thin air next to him appeared a tall lanky colonial era soldier, this time wearing one of the blue Colonial American uniforms. I couldn't make out their faces. I tried to walk toward them, but I couldn't seem to move. Without warning I heard a voice all around me, a familiar voice; it was my mother. She said, "Mister Thibodaux!" The drummer boy straightened his statue and readied his drum. She continued, "Beat to Quarters!" The boy began a rapid succession of drum beats, I recalled its meaning from my studies in military history…it was a call to arms. I watched as the American soldier snapped a salute and held it. I felt strange, and looked down at myself again. I wasn't naked any longer. Instead I was wearing a British redcoat uniform, but it had no rank. I looked up at the soldiers but they had vanished. _

_After an awkward moment of silence I heard the sound of cracking glass behind me. I looked around and saw one of the observation windows forming multiple cracks. I walked towards it, pulling the lever on the wall to close the hatch over the cracked window, but it didn't work. Just before it broke, I glared out of the window at Earth below and it was beautiful, like a picture I'd once seen. No cities or pollution, just…and the glass broke! I braced myself with both arms on the sides of the window against the force of massive decompression, but then the bulkhead gave way as well. I found myself floating in space moving away from the space station. I thought it odd that I could breathe. I looked at my hands and arms and watched as my redcoat uniform change to tatters and finally dissolved from my skin leaving me naked once more. I was astonished as my hands and arms began to turn a light crystalline blue. My whole body was turning blue, caused by the vacuum of space on living tissue, I was certain. Why I could still breath was beyond explanation. I slowly turned away from the station, to see Earth looming closer and closer. I suddenly felt warm, then hot, and I realized I was burning up in reentry. My eyes widened as I tried to scream and only a faint hiss came out! I was about to die…_

I woke up with a sudden jolt. I sat straight up in my bed, soaked with sweat. The letter still clenched in my right hand. I focused on the room. It was morning now, probably mid-morning, with a clear view of the Atlanta skyline outside my window. My cat Felix, lying on the bed next to me, was not impressed at my sudden awakening. Felix just looked at me and meowed.

I put the letter down, and reached over to pet him. "Hi kitty. I'm glad you were keeping an eye on me." I chuckled and swung my legs off the bed. I recalled a conversation I'd had about two weeks earlier with General Hall, shortly after the death of a mutual friend, Dr. Nikolaus Brandt. I reached over and placed a call to his office.

A woman answered the line. "United Nations, Department of Peacekeeping Operations. How can I help you?"

I answered, "This is Dr. Nathan LeMay, calling for General Marcus Hall."

She replied, "I'm sorry, sir. He's in a meeting right now. Can I take a message?"

I replied, "Yes. Please tell him I called, and if his offer is still on the table, tell him I accept it unconditionally."

After a short moment of silence, the woman replied, "Yes, Dr. LeMay I recognize who you are now and I'll make sure the General gets this message the moment he comes out of the meeting."

I replied in a faint voice as I glanced over at the crumpled letter, "Thank you."

**End of attached document.**

Marcus leaned back in his chair, and considered for a moment what would happen to the mission if Nathan did something irrational in his current state of mind. He came to the conclusion that since the last motivation Nathan had for taking the assignment was gone, he needed to give him a new motivation. Marcus realized what he needed to do, and the sooner he did it the better for everyone on Augustine Science Station and Pandora.


	7. Ch6: Letters to Pandora

**Chapter 6 – Letters to Pandora**

April 8, 2155…

I heard two quick chimes. The station clock displayed 0200 as I glared up at it from my station on the operations deck. Sleep had been a stranger to me since we arrived. I sat there, thumping a pen against the desk, watching environmental conditions for each station level scroll past on my halo screen. The station had been in operation for just about two months now, but despite staying busy, my mood wasn't any better now than the moment Doctor Kenny told me the news.

I've never been the sort of man to let my emotions get in the way of my work or responsibility to my crew. As I thumbed through my recent messages, I came across one from General Marcus Hall, the man who had recruited me for this mission. It had come in during my off hours, and was marked **"PERSONAL."** It read:

Nathan,

I've heard rumors that you're suffering with serious depression. You know me, so I'll not waste your time making pleasantries or trying to sympathize with you about it. Instead I've selected a few messages I think you should see. Maybe they will put things in perspective for you. I know you'll do what's right and you've proven time and again that no matter what happens out there, you'll carry the burden until Hell freezes over if necessary. All I ask is that you take a moment to read these messages. Hopefully, they'll provide you another point of view, one that will help ease your personal burden. You're aware how important this mission's success is for both Earth and Pandora's future. I know you'll get the job done.

Be careful old friend,

Marcus

**Begin transmission of selected "Inter-Stellar-Packet Burst Transmission" messages.**

Message 1 Retrieved…

Date: 8 July 2148

From: Dr. Kenneth Taylor - RDA Science Division - Avatar Genetics Branch

To: Dr. Grace Augustine - Pandora (Hell's Gate) Site - Exobiology Chief

Subj: Avatar Program Update and Pandora Biological Network Theory

Greetings Doctor Augustine,

Grace, it's good to hear from you. It appears from your last report that the new Avatar software has reached nearly 92% efficiency. Our programmers have confidence that by the time your new Avatar drivers arrive in 2154, the software will be nearly bug free and we hope near 100% efficiency. I can imagine how frustrating the errors must be when interacting with the native population. This is cutting edge software, you know.

As for your request for new avatar linking chambers slated for your remote site in the mountains...I'm sorry the budget can't handle it right now. Since you have managed to start construction on the schoolhouse, and have good relations with the local Na'vi the board doesn't see a benefit in updating your secondary site at this time. I will try again next year, I promise.

Dr. Heinrich's team has completed their analysis of your first set of Pandoran ecological samples that arrived in late 2146. Your samples have stirred a great deal of discussion and argument among the international exobiology and anthropological communities. Some of them are hailing you as a scientific hero, while others are on the brink of declaring you a heretic. You should see some of the meetings...it's a cross between a discussion and cursing match, I think. I wish you could see them. There are a lot of folks here who miss you, especially Harrison. He wasn't happy when you broadcasted your samples to the entire community. You know how RDA is about confidentiality, but since they can't seem to find a law against what you did, they're content to know your success makes RDA look better to the stockholders. Damn, what a weird psycho-political game they play here at RDA. Sometimes I wish I'd gone to Pandora with you. Anyway, I digress...I've attached a copy of the report to this data stream burst for your team to enjoy.

Also, Dr. Norm Spellman the anthropologist you requested for the Avatar program just cleared his last set of tests and will be on the next supply ship, ISV Venture Star, to Pandora...expected arrival 2154 along with the other new drivers the company has trained for your team.

Oh, one last thing Grace...Dr. Sully was murdered a few days ago. Police said it was a mugging that turned violent. That's all we have right now. I'm sorry to have to pass the news, but the official report will be sent separately via company channels. Just wanted you to have a heads up.

Be Safe,

Kenny

Message 2 Retrieved…

Date: 14 August 2148

From: Dr. Ginger Leonov - United Nations Interstellar Science Committee

To: Dr. Grace Augustine - Pandora (Hell's Gate) Site - Exobiology Chief

Subj: Avatar Program Expansion Grant Request Approved

Doctor Grace Augustine,

It is my pleasure to congratulate you and your team for the hard work you have done on Pandora with regard to the Avatar program and educational efforts for the primitive Na'vi. The ISC has reviewed your request to expand the Na'vi Avatar research program beyond RDA responsibility into a long-term intercultural exchange program sponsored by the UN-ISC. Our committee members feel there is considerable opportunity for scientific discovery, not just related to Pandora, but to grow a new understanding of exo-avatar science. To this end, I've attached in data stream the details of a new science station slated for this project and it's estimated arrival at Pandora should be late 2154. We had to divert funding from several other programs but the board feels your work is worth it.

This science station will support up to 12 scientists and a station operations team. It will operate under the jurisdiction of the UN-ISC. Once the station arrives in orbit, both your facility at RDA Hell's Gate and your remote site will fall under UN-ISC authority. We have, of course, chosen you to head the project's expansion and we've already put your recommendations for staffing into motion. Doctor Kenneth Taylor will be arriving with the station and will act as your project deputy. Keep up the good work, Doctor.

Respectfully,

Doctor Leonov

UN-ISC Chair

Message 3 Retrieved…

Date: 23 January 2155

From: Dr. John Grant - United Nations Interstellar Science Committee

To: Dr. Norm Spellman - Pandora (Hell's Gate) Site - Acting Exobiology Chief

Subj: Status of Avatar Research Program and Situation on Pandora

Doctor Spellman,

I have read your report regarding the events that took place on Pandora in late 2154. Please accept my condolences for the loss of Dr. Grace Augustine and your colleagues. To say the least we are shocked and furthermore, we are concerned for the safety of your remaining staff and the status of Mr. Jake Sully. According to your report, he has been permanently transferred into a Na'vi avatar body. Unfortunately, we can't answer your question about long term effects on the Avatar body, since the best people to answer that question are in cryostasis and still on their way to Pandora aboard the new UN science station. We've run the simulations here, but in all honesty we can't say if there will be any negative effects on Jake's mind. To add, the variable of the "Tree of Souls" into the equation makes everything we say nothing but speculation. We have continued our analysis of the samples returned to Earth before the incident. As well, we concur with yours and Doctor Augustine's findings that the planet is certainly tied into some sort of global bio-neurological network of a magnitude that's difficult to imagine.

Considering the new rules placed on humans by the Na'vi since the conflict, we believe it would be best if you take Dr. Augustine's position as project leader, considering you have first hand experience on the ground, and the Na'vi trust you. Dr. Taylor will work from orbit and visit via Avatar once permission is granted by the Omaticaya for new avatars to walk among them. We will count on your assistance in making that happen and fostering a positive relationship between humans and Na'vi going forward. Since the RDA has departed Pandora, the UN-ISC now holds responsibility for Pandora and it's surrounding space. I won't lie to you; there have been a lot of arguments happening in both the UN Security Council, and among several key members about the RDA-Na'vi conflict. Not everyone is convinced RDA was in the wrong or that the Na'vi didn't instigate the situation. Just be advised, things remain in flux around here with a lot of grey areas, but it appears Pandora is a science mission for the foreseeable future.

Cheers,

Doctor John Grant

UN-ISC Chair

Message 4 Retrieved…

Date: 27 March 2155

From: Dr. John Grant - United Nations Interstellar Science Committee

To: Dr. Norm Spellman - Pandora (Hell's Gate) Site - UN-ISC Project Lead

Cc: Dr. Kenneth Taylor - Augustine Science Station - UN-ISC Deputy Project Lead

Greetings Doctor's Spellman and Taylor,

We have received your startup report and are very pleased that the station is running at near 100% efficiency. I understand Nathan's team got the station up and running in less than two weeks, despite his bad news. Looks like he's living up to his reputation. I guess you can't go wrong with a Navy man. I don't suppose they care much whether it's water or space they call home. As I recall in his interview, he said something along those lines; I believe it was, "a man can die under pressure or in its absence, either way he's still dead if he screws up," or something like that. I figured he'd be the sort of person you can count on. He came highly recommended by both the European Space Agency and the American National Aeronautics Space Administration. He picked the other three members of his team, so they should get along.

With the station in good order, I see you've managed to get approval from the Na'vi to allow your Avatars on the surface so you can interact with them on a daily basis. Hopefully, the school will be reopened soon as well. I'm also glad to hear the spare parts for Hell's Gate made the trip safely. Hopefully Chief LeMay will have your Avatar systems back up to speed soon with the new enhancements. I'm sorry to hear about the manufacturing defects in the meteor shielding for the station comms relay system, but I understand Nathan's team has put an interim fix in place. The replacement parts will be coming with the next supply ship.

Also, one other piece of news, the reported find of unobtanium in the outer asteroid belt was exposed to be a fraud. It's big news around here, so Pandora remains the only known source of unobtanium. Debate continues in both the UN and among the other big game players as to the next move, but for now there's still no authorized plan to revisit Pandora for unobtanium. The price of the element has gone up ten fold since the 2154 conflict and it's still going up.

We look forward to your next report. Your supply shipment should arrive around mid 2155. After that you should be set for a while.

Cheers,

Doctor John Grant

UN-ISC Chair

**End-of-Transmission.**

The halo screen flickered off to clear glass and I pushed it away. I mumbled to myself, "Marcus has never been a man of many words. I suppose his reserved ways have contributed to his reputation as a well liked and respected General. He does have a natural talent for knowing his troops and telling them what they need to hear in order to accomplish the mission at hand. Apparently it worked on me this time. Hell, his advice has always struck a nerve with me. It always seems to push me outside my usual comfort zone. I guess that's what made him such a damn good boss back in the day." I chuckled at the notion.

"He's right, only time can heal my personal problems, but being reminded about the importance of this mission has helped put things in perspective in the here and now. It's time I put my personal feelings where they belong and act like the man in charge."

I got up from the desk, and addressed the station computer, "Juno, I'm calling it a day, let me know if anything comes up."

Juno replied in a calm female voice, _"Understood Nathan. All station systems are currently running under normal conditions. I hope you sleep well." _

I just stood their a moment feeling the aches in my muscles from the lack of sleep and said, "I hope so too. Good Night." As I left the deck headed to my quarters, the operations deck lights automatically dimmed. It was the first good nights sleep I'd had since I came out of cryostasis.


	8. Ch7: First Impressions

**Chapter 7 – First Impressions**

April 12, 2155…

As the shuttle touched down, I thought, "Hell's Gate, the kind of place you might dream about if you overdosed on LSD and already had a rather twisted imagination to begin with."

I glanced over at Adam, my chief engineer and said, "Well it's not exactly the kind of place you want to write home about if you ask me." I chuckled, and Adam replied in his thick Aussie accent, "I don't know mate, there's a certain allure about it. The kind of allure that would probably get you killed if you got to close."

We both chuckled at the thought.

Just as we felt the shuttle settle to the ground, I heard Sheila's voice on the intercom, "Ok folks don't forget to secure those masks." The green light over the hatch turned red signifying a change in atmosphere. I checked my exopack rebreather to be sure it was working properly. The hatch opened and I pulled myself out of my seat and stepped out into the bright Pandoran daylight.

As I looked around the first thing that caught my eye was the ten-foot tall blue Na'vi standing next to Dr. Spellman both of them apparently waiting for us a few meters away from the shuttle. The Na'vi wasn't what I expected. I pictured them looking more primitive, but this one was wearing pants and a t-shirt. It occurred to me, he must be an Avatar Na'vi.

I stepped down onto the tarmac and as I walked toward them, I surveyed my surroundings. The base was in less than prime condition, but it wasn't anything Adam, Sheila and I couldn't handle with a little help from the locals. Nakia had stayed in orbit with the station since she had already been down for her first visit to upgrade the base's communications systems.

As I walked up to them they greeted me with introductions. "Welcome to Pandora Chief LeMay, my name is Dr. Norman Spellman, head of the Avatar Research team on Pandora. You may not recognize him, but this is Dr. James Michaels from your station."

Dr. Michaels said, "Hi Nathan, could you tell it was me?"

I gave him a smirk and said, "Not at first, but then you had to open your mouth!"

Dr. Spellman stood their stunned, but James and I just stared at each other a moment, until we both broke out in laughter. I said, "Dr. Spellman, you can relax, James and I just have an odd sense of humor."

Adam, and Sheila walked up behind me and said, "Did we miss a joke or what?" James, Norm and I just laughed, and I said, "Something like that, guys." I pointed at the main command building and said, "I think that's where we want to get started folks." We all began walking in the direction of the building.

Along the way to the building, I noticed a young Na'vi boy stood along our path. As we approached him, Adam and I exchanged some notes on a halo pad as we finalized our work schedule. When I looked back up from the pad, we had walked up on the young Na'vi. The boy in English said "Nice to meet you sir."

I stopped in my tracks, surprised that he spoke English. The boy reached out to shake my hand, but I just stared at him for a couple of seconds. I looked over at Adam and he shrugged his shoulders with a confused look on his face. I glanced back at the others, all of whom were just standing behind us waiting for my reaction. Finally, I looked back at the boy, and without a word, I simply ignored his gesture and walked around him, to continue on to the building.

Several of the Na'vi and humans in the vicinity saw my reaction to the boy, but I didn't give a damn what they thought about it. I finished my notes and handed the halo pad back to Adam. I thought, "If they wanted a diplomat they called the wrong guy."

As we walked toward the main command building, I started to say, "Dr. Spellman," but Norm immediately interrupted me, "Chief please call me Norm." I replied, "Ok, Norm, from what I understand your having intermittent power outages?"

Norm replied in a less than certain tone, "Yes, that's what I'd call it, they've been happening now for several months. Causes havoc with our avatar chambers, since they're directly connected to the main power with no backup."

I thought about his answer a few moments as we entered the building. "Well you've not had a serious maintenance workup on the facility since RDA departed, so I'm not surprised that the fusion generators getting a little flaky."

Something about my statement made Norm, and a couple of other people in the room who happened to overhear me obviously uncomfortable. I realized the change in mood, and replied in a loud tone so everyone in the room could hear me, "Don't worry, it's nothing that can't be fixed, right Adam!" Adam replied, "Roger that mate," with a big grin on his face.

We made our way up to the control room on the upper deck. I noticed a lot of the equipment was shutdown and some of it simply didn't work anymore. I said, "Ok team, we have seventy-two hours before we're due back upstairs."

I looked at Norm and said, "Those crates we walked past coming in should be the bulk of your new supplies and spare parts." Norm nodded in agreement.

I continued, "Adam coordinate with the local folks to get the generator checked out, and feel free to work your magic." Adam replied, "You got it boss," and walked off headed for the generator room." Just as Adam turned to walk off, Norm added, "Adam, Ginger and Montie should be waiting for you in the generator room." Adam casually waved his left hand in the air to acknowledge him, as he walked out of the room.

I looked at Sheila and said, "Baby, let's get busy getting these systems back online. Then we can run a full diagnostic and see what's what." She grinned, and in a sarcastic tone said, "Sounds like fun, I can't wait to meet their computer." Norm had a confused expression on his face, when Dr. Michaels said, "They're just talking about your base computer and geeks always treat their computers like a person or pet, eh." Norm smiled and nodded as the joke registered.

Just as Sheila and I were beginning to restart systems throughout the control room, another person walked up to Norm and said, "Norm what's going on? Are they the technical team we were promised?" Norm replied, "Yep that's them, let me introduce you."

I was bent over an open console pulling and reconnecting some fiber optic wires behind one of the halo screens when Norm tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped and hit my head on the top of the console. I yelped, "Damn it!" I turned around to see Norm and another man standing next to him. I pulled the earplugs out of my ears, the sound of heavy metal music could easily be heard, as I turned the volume down on the music player attached to my right arm.

I said, "What?" Norm said, "Chief I wanted to introduce Dr. Max Patel. He's in charge of the Avatar lab." I said, "Good to meet you, Dr. Patel. As soon as we have the main systems back up and a diagnostic ran, I should be ready to start your upgrades."

Max enthusiastically said, "That'd be great sir. Our equipment's in pretty bad shape. When the Na'vi forced RDA to leave, most of us scientists stayed, but unfortunately all of the maintenance people who knew how to keep up the avatar lab left with RDA."

I interrupted him and said, "With all due respect Doctor, I read the report and I need to get back to work. We're on a time table, and I want to be sure to get everything done, and I can't do it unless you let me go back to work."

With a hint of humiliation in his facial expression Max muttered, "Of course chief, sorry about the interruption." Max walked off and Norm followed after him.

This time I didn't turn my music back on since it was obvious I'd be interrupted again, and didn't feel like hitting my head a second time in one day. Sure enough, Norm walked back up to me a few minutes later as I was reconfiguring the three-dimensional geospatial mapping console. Norm said, "Chief if you have time, Jake Sully would like to meet you while you're here." I stood there and thought for a moment. I had read the reports on Jake Sully and his role in the 2154 crisis and subsequent exile of most of the humans.

My mind suddenly fell into a deep realm of thought. Jake Sully, former Marine, former human, hero to the Na'vi, and these humans, traitor to the rest of humanity on Earth. Yes, I'd heard of him and his Na'vi mate, Neytiri, Princess of the Omaticaya, who is believed to have been responsible for Jake's betrayal of his own kind. Perhaps I'd spent too much time reading the RDA reports about him. All I've ever cared about was the fact that his choice to side with them prevented my last chance for absolution. He was also there at the end and I'll always envy him for that.

After a few moments, Norm said, "Chief did you hear me?" I replied, "Yes, sorry, I was just deep in thought for a moment. Seriously Norm, I have a lot of work to do here, and I don't think I'll have time for any meet and greets on this trip. Maybe another time, is that ok?" Norm, confused at first that I wouldn't want to meet Jake, said, "Sure. I understand you're busy. I'll let him know you wont have time and we'll try to work something out for your next visit." I nodded in approval, but thought to myself, "Meeting the natives was the last item on my personal agenda, right after "when Hell freezes over."

Three days later.

All three us were exhausted. We had worked nearly straight through with only a couple of short naps, but the work was done. Hell's Gate was back online; all systems were in sync with Augustine Station. I said, "Juno, status report for Hell's Gate." In the same calm female voice, as on the station, Juno replied, _"Good afternoon, Nathan. I am fully synchronized with all Hell's Gate primary and most of its secondary systems, all of which show condition nominal at this time. However, I do show only one of the three air defense cannons as operational and all sentry guns are also offline. As well, not all of the Avatar lab systems…"_ I interrupted and said, "Yes Juno, I know about that. Thank you." Juno replied, _"Understood, Nathan."_

I looked at Norm. Several of his people stood around us, all of which I'm sure he introduced at some point, but I only recognized Dr. Patel, probably because I hit my head just before meeting him, and that helped drive the memory home for me. I chuckled at that thought. I said, "Ok Norm, we've got Hell's Gate synched-up with the station. We'll be able to monitor all your critical systems and remotely access them if necessary on a 24/7 basis. I suspect a few more visits will be needed to finish the upgrades to the defense systems and Avatar labs but we can work that out later."

Norm said, "We appreciate it." I replied, "No need for it. It's our job and now we can do it from upstairs," as I pointed up.

There was a few seconds of silence and Adam added, "and be sure to pay your bills on time." Max spoke up, "Bills?" I replied, "It's a joke Dr. Patel, just a joke." Max looked slightly relieved.

I said, "I think we're done here for now and I can hear my bed calling me from orbit. Any questions?" Norm thought a moment, and finally said, "Lots of questions, I'm sure, but they can wait till you and your team get some rest." I smiled and said, "I was hoping you'd say that. Let's go team; time to go home." We put on our exopacks and headed for the exit.

Over the next few weeks, I returned several more times to finish my upgrades and conduct critical maintenance that I couldn't do from orbit. Although when it was possible I made a habit of sending a member of my team, if I could avoid the trip. Every time I visited Pandora, I made a point to avoid the Na'vi and generally anything not made of metal or glass.

I never took the time to meet with Jake Sully; it didn't seem like a good idea to me, and I didn't care what he thought about it. Sometimes, during my visits at night while I was alone in the control room, I would stand at the window staring off into the Pandoran jungles. I would watch as every once in a while a sentry gun would shoot at some creature that moved too close to the wall.

During these moments, when I took the time to think about it, I wondered if the price we'd paid for our contact with Pandora had really been worth it. I knew the price I'd paid and I wondered if the others ever thought the same.

Even more of a mystery in my mind is what the Na'vi thought about it. Incompatible, is the word I feel best describes Humans and Na'vi, but hey who the hell am I to judge? It is what it is, as they say. Just another case of being willing to die to protect something I don't personally believe in. Then again, that's been a common theme throughout most of my career. Keeping busy helped pass the time and it helped keep my mind away from Pandora; and so I put my earphones back in, cranked up the music and went back to work.


	9. Ch8: Questions on the Horizon

**Chapter 8 – Questions on the Horizon**

June 1, 2155…

Time passes when you keep busy and make a point to put yourself in a routine. I had learned that lesson well during my military years. However, all the training in the world couldn't seem to fix it so I could go to sleep when I wanted to rest. So I lay here in my bunk like I do most nights, just staring at the overhead console, reading status reports or technical journals. Sometimes, I'll watch an old movie and all of the above when I can't sleep at all.

My depression issues are behind me for the most part, but that doesn't change some things or the fact that I have a lot of work-related junk on my mind. Either way, here I am wanting to sleep, but can't.

Sometimes I feel like the only guy on the edge of Known Space who can't get a descent nights rest and you can only do the sleep meds for so long before the doc cuts you off. At least I'm comfortable as I lay here staring out into my quarters. My eyes fixed on an old photo on my desk of my family, taken a few months before my sister left for college. I had issues back then, but now as I think about those memories, they seem oddly pleasant.

I turned over to watch the end of a classic John Wayne movie that I had seen more times than I could recall. The lines seemed to flow together in my memory, "your fault, my fault, nobody's fault, I'm going to blow your head off…" I guess that happens when you've seen a movie at least a dozen times. It was still good enough to help me fall asleep.

Lethargically, I rolled back over. Just before my eyes could close, a red light flashed above me on the overhead console. I stared at the light for a moment thinking to myself, "oh joy another pressure valve or circuit problem." I punched the speaker button hard, so hard it cut my middle finger. As Sheila's face appeared on the screen she didn't speak at first, she just looked at me with an odd grin on her face.

I suppose she could tell I was cursing under my breath as I sucked on the cut. "Yes Sheila, I'm awake. What's happening?" She replied, "Sorry to bother you sweetie, I know how hard it is for you to get to sleep, but I thought you needed to see this." With a cynical tone I asked, "What's this?" She replied, "Well, long range communications is picking up a transponder signal for a ship on approach to Alpha Centauri space. The projected trajectory shows it will make Pandora orbit in less than a week." I replied sharply, "It's too early for our supply ship!"

Sheila interrupted forcefully..."I know! That's why I'm waking you up. Remember?" I stared at her a second thinking to myself that her hazel eyes are stunning even on a monitor. I replied, "Ok, you got my attention, I'm on my way and let Doc Kenny know, I'll be up there in a few minutes. By the way, I wasn't asleep yet." She replied, "I didn't think so," she smirked at me as the screen when dark. I grunted as I slowly pulled myself out of my bunk.

Sluggishly, I slipped on my gravity-boots and made my way to the operations deck, where Sheila was standing at the communications console near the center of the compartment...She was staring at the halo screen as it tracked our newfound visitor. Sheila jumped as I quietly walked up and put my hand on her shoulder. She grumbled, "Damn it Nathan! I hate it when you sneak up on me like that." I smiled, and replied, "Sorry sweetheart, I forget sometimes how sensitive you are about that." I started to lean forward to give her a kiss, but she pulled away from me. She gave me that go for an EVA without a suit look...I ignored it as usual.

I scanned the halo screen, and said, "So what do we have here? If these numbers are right our supply ship, ISV Endurance was early...very early. Hmm." Sheila turned around and shoved a tablet into my hands. In an almost scolding voice she said, "The numbers look right, the ship will be here in just under one week. It's big, very big, based on my calculations."

As I looked over the numbers again...in thought for a moment, I noticed Dr. Kenneth (Kenny) Taylor pop his head up through the Zero-G ladder-way. He said, "What's up folks? Sheila did I understand you right? The supply ship is almost here?" She quickly swung the halo screen around to face him and replied, "Yep, looks like it to me." I handed the tablet to Kenny and paused in thought for a second...Then said, "It's early but the transponder code matches. I have to agree with Sheila's calculations. It appears our supply ship will be early. I find it strange but it's not unheard of, but the size of it is huge, if these readings are to be believed." Kenny glanced at the numbers and handed the pad back to Sheila.

He thought for a second, "Well Nathan do you think the communications relay systems are hosed up again? Giving false readings? You know it's been a problem child since our third month here." In a calm tone I replied, "Ya, it may be giving us some false readings on the size, but the ship is out there and on approach to Pandora. Of course, the good news is I'll be able to fix that micro-meteor damage and install new shielding once and for all." Kenny chuckled, "If it weren't for you guys this poor station wouldn't last long up here." I grinned, "That's why they call it the last frontier, Boss. A stick of gum and rubber bands is still a techs best friend, even in space."

Kenny stared at the halo screen again and said, "Nathan, it looks like we're not going to be able to have voice comms with the ship until it's almost here, so I don't see where there's much we can do for now." I replied, "I agree Doc. Why don't you get some rest since I know you're always up early on Pandora time. Sheila and I will run a quick diagnostic before I head back to bed for the night; just to be sure there's no serious problems with the communications relays."

As Kenny stood there contemplating the situation, he finally said, "Do you think we need to send a request for confirmation back home?" Sheila replied, "We can power up the superluminal communications system if you want but with part of our comms relay system down it will eat up a lot of our energy reserves, which would take several days to recover. Also it doesn't change the fact that the ship's going to be here in a less than a week. My guess is someone at headquarters mixed up the flight orders, and they either left early or our copy of the itinerary was just wrong."

Kenny considered her words and looked at me. I nodded in agreement. Kenny said, "Very well. I guess you're right, not much point in whining about schedules especially since this error works in our favor." Sheila giggled and said, "Imagine that, a bank error in our favor." We all chuckled at the thought.

Everyone's mood became visibly pleasant as Kenny said, "Nathan, I know your team will keep things working, you guys...and gals," as he looked over at Sheila "have been handling the station well and we Science geeks appreciate it. It gives us more time to work with the natives." I chuckled, "No problem Doc. I still think we have the easier job, I'm not sure I could go to work everyday in an alien body, but then again everyone's got their own style of living around here, eh." All three of us laughed at my comment.

Just as Kenny started to walk toward the ladder-way, I said, "Ya know Doc, I've always wondered, having read a lot about the wildlife down there...What exactly would happen to you if something killed your Avatar while your mind is still in it? I know the failsafe would pull you back, but would you be ok? In the head?" Kenny laughed and said, "Of course we'd just be disconnected. It wouldn't be a pleasant experience but the driver lives to drive another day, hopefully with his sanity intact."

Kenny paused for a moment as he thought about it and continued, "You should ask Doctor Spellman about losing an Avatar. It happened to him back in '54. What sucked most for him was waiting for his Avatar body to heal from the extensive wounds so he could safely reconnect with it. Of course that doesn't apply to Jake, but does that answer the question?"

I cocked my head to one side and made my eyes go cross-eyed for a moment, with a smirk on my face and replied, "Yep, that did it for me. Maybe you guys do have it better, since you always get a second chance." We all chuckled at the notion. The Kenny waved at us as he disappeared down the Zero-G ladder-way. Sheila and I finished up the diagnostic after Dr. Taylor went back to his quarters. I finally got to sleep just about an hour or so before Pandoran sunrise, and of course I got woke up again. I don't remember why.


	10. Ch9: Red Sky

**Chapter 9 – Red Sky **

June 7, 2155 about 0830.

I stood on the operations deck wearing my EVA suit with my helmet on a nearby desk. I stared past my halo screens out the forward observation window toward the moon of Pandora and gas giant Polyphemus. I watched as my space station passed the day-night terminator into morning. Actually, the station does this several times a day, but I always made a point to enjoy watching it during the morning hours of my workday, sometimes from outside. Space was my domain, and I enjoyed observing it like a bird watcher enjoys nature.

Nakia, my executive officer, sat at her station off to my right side, while Sheila, my systems engineer, sat at her station to my left side. The dayshift had begun. Juno, the station computer, said, _"Good morning Nathan."_ I replied, "Good morning Juno. How is my station today?" Juno replied, _"All systems are nominal, with exception to the primary comms relay system. It is operating in a degraded mode at this time. The backup comms relay has been activated and is working normally." _ I replied, "I understand, I plan to take a look at that problem this morning."

Nakia turned to look at me, as she swung her halo screen around so I could see it from my central operations console. Nakia gave me a glare, as she said, "well it appears to be on a direct rendezvous with the station. Plus, it appears to have launched a shuttle." I said, "Damn it, Nakia, it bothers me that we can't get them to answer our hails." She responded sharply, "We've been trying for nearly 12 hours Nathan, I can't say for sure if they're receiving, or if our comms relay is the problem. Ever since that meteor..."

I interrupted her in a cynical tone, "Yes, I remember the stupid meteor and if there hadn't been the manufacturing defect in the shielding, we wouldn't have had the headache to start with. I know." I gave a smirking grin back to Nakia. It was obviously my turn to go out and reset the comms relay circuits. I stated in a cocky voice, "Did you figure I just loved to come to work in the morning in an EVA suit?" Both of us chuckled and Nakia smiled and said, "get on with it Big Dog, otherwise I'll just take the day off!"

I reached over and grabbed my helmet as I made a stupid facial expression toward Nakia. I said, "Woman, has anyone ever pointed out that your attitude is less than professional?" She replied, "I might have heard that from some jerk, but I won't mention any names." We both just stared at each other a moment; seriously at first, then with a sudden change of facial expressions, we both broke out in laughter. Sheila said, "You two are the oddest command staff I think I've ever work for, you know that?" In unison, Nakia and I replied, "Maybe."

After a few more seconds we all chuckled, and I said, "Ok, I've got to deal with a comms relay." I walked over to Sheila and with a smile, I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and said, "I'll see you tonight." Sheila blushed a little as she smiled.

As I checked the settings on my EVA suit, I said, " Oh, and about that day off, I don't think so. I need someone to talk to these people and you're it. I'm on my way out to take a look at it; I'll be back in a few hours. Hopefully by then you'll be talking up a storm with these mysterious visitors." Sheila laughed. I stared up at the ceiling a moment and rolled my eyes and said, "Hell, that's probably why they dispatched the shuttle. With the right parts, I can finally put that comms relay back in operation to stay." Nakia jokingly replied, "Yep, that would make my job a little easier." I smiled at her as I disappeared, floating down the ladder-way toward the hanger deck.

Along the way, I passed Adam in the hanger who was doing some routine maintenance on one of our repair droids. He said, "Good morning mate, looks like your going for a stroll this morning." I replied, "Not really, I just like to wear my EVA suit around the office. It makes me feel like I'm in charge." We both chuckled as Adam replied, "Whatever you say boss, but I think your wearing it to show off your girlish figure." This time we both laughed hardily, so much so my gut hurt. I finally said, "That's enough fun for one morning, I'll talk to you in a little while," I waved as I closed the airlock hatch behind me.

Outside the space station...

Once outside in the cold of space, I said, "Comms check...Comms check, can anyone hear me out here? Nakia, you hear me?" With a slight crackle in the comms, her voice came through..."Roger, Nathan I read you clear." I replied, "Roger, Nakia, I can see the interstellar ship in the distance, it's only a spec but I feel better knowing they'll be here soon. Also don't forget to wake up Doctors Taylor and Michaels from their Avatar chambers. They wanted to be there when our visitors arrived."

The intercom crackled with Nakia's voice, "Roger that boss, it's on the schedule; still I hate cutting them off in mid-stream, it seems so unnatural." I laughed as I said, "If you don't want to do it, ask Sheila or Adam to wake them. They wanted to be up and about the station so they could be a part of the welcoming committee." Nakia said, "Roger that, I'll ask Adam to politely disturb them in that case."

After a few minutes, I thought of something I'd forgotten. "Nakia you read me?" A few seconds later she replied, "Yes Nathan, what's up?" "Do me a favor and spin up the superluminal system with our communications satellites as soon as I finish the repairs. I'd like to start transmitting the supply ships arrival confirmation to command as soon as we make contact. You know how command is about promptness." I heard her giggling to herself over the channel. I said, "I guess that sound was you agreeing with me?" "Yep, and I'm starting the pre-power up sequence now. I'll be ready when you're done." I said, "Roger that."

It took a about three hours but I finally finished the work on the comms relay and decided to relax for a few minutes and take in the view of Pandora from high orbit. No matter how many times I saw it, Pandora set against the backdrop of Polyphemus was always breathtaking. As I sat there on the edge of a solar panel array and looked out over the vast beauty it occurred to me as I mumbled, "this is the kind of view that deserves of good smoke and cup of tea. To bad no ones ever invented a space suit you can have a proper tea time in." I laughed at the notion and enjoyed the view.


	11. Ch10: State of Mind

**Chapter 10 – State of Mind**

Later that same day…

The Avatar chamber closed and sealed itself over my exhausted body. I thought to myself, "What would I give for just one exopack right now." Once the chamber cover sealed, the chamber automatically detected no connection with the station oxygen supply, so it started using its internal emergency tank. It had enough for a few hours, and then it dawned on me, " I only have a few hours left to live." I'd better make the best of them; I closed my eyes, as the connection initiated.

My thoughts began to speed up; I felt as if I were floating, lights flickered all around me, and then intense pain. Even the painkillers I'd taken couldn't dull the powerful sensations of excruciating discomfort running throughout my nervous system as it was forced into an unnatural connection with an Avatar's body; one genetically designed for Doctor James Michaels, not me. It was like no feeling or pain I've ever experienced. It was dark and cold with the sensation of falling. My mind felt strange as the agonizing pain eased some but it was still there constant and throbbing; wait a second, do I smell something?

I could hear movement all around me. There were strange odors while the sensation of lying on my back began to rise above the pain. I heard voices, not in English, but rather Na'vi, I forced my eyes to open; blurry at first, but I realized there were three Na'vi looking down at me and I thought for sure those were trees above me. In a scratchy voice I said, "Did I just fall out of a tree?" I shook my head clear and thought to myself, "I've survived the connection process. That's good, I think."

I struggled to speak in broken Na'vi, "Please...Please I must talk with Jake Sully or Norm Spellman." A beautiful female Na'vi gently lifted my back off the ground. I could barely move with the intense pain shooting throughout my body. She leaned me against a tree and watched me for a moment, and then she said "James Michaels you do not look well," in English. I replied, "My name is Nathan LeMay, not James, please find Jake Sully. I must warn him of the danger!"

I cringed as another wave of pain rolled through my Avatar body. She stared at me for several more moments with a look of confusion in her face. Finally, she placed her right hand over her chest and said, "My name is Niysia and we will help you." Niysia looked up at a young Na'vi who stood nearby, "I will find the Olo'eyktan." She pointed down at me, "Neyral keep watch over him." I could hear their voices, but the pain made it seem like they were far away. "Olo'eyktan?" I wished now I had spent more time studying the language, but I think she said "clan leader." I hope she meant Jake.

A few moments passed I think, and then I noticed a child was watching me. The child asked, "Can you stand?" In a faint voice I replied, "No, I don't think so. Thank you for helping me sit up, it feels better." Then I realized she was speaking English as well. My voice had grown a little stronger and I said, "What's your name?" "Neyral," she replied. I smiled and with a steadier voice said, "That's a strong name for a huntress." She smiled in turn. I blacked out again...I'm not sure how much time passed.

I awoke to see a male Na'vi kneeling in front of me, shaking me by the shoulders. His voice slowly pierced my consciousness, "James I'm here, you need to wake up, James! Niysia said you have a warning for me? What happened in space? We saw the showers of fire in the sky. James!" Finally I mustered my voice, "I'm Nathan LeMay, not James." The Na'vi stood up suddenly and stepped back, probably confused by my response.

Just then, I noticed another Na'vi walk up. I think it was Norm's Avatar and I realized the other Na'vi must be Jake. It occurred to me that I'd never actually met Jake before now, but that was my own fault. In a surprised tone, they both turned to look at me and spoke in unison, "You're Chief Nathan LeMay, from the space station?" With an unsteady tone, I replied, "Yes, I'm Nathan. James is dead. I'm using his Avatar to communicate with you. Doctors Taylor, Frost, and Lischinsky are in cryostasis with me in an evacuation pod. We're the only survivors from the attack."

A female Na'vi kneeled next to me, and gave me water. It felt smooth and cool on my throat and my voice grew stronger as I drank. I think she was Jake's mate, Neytiri, but I'm not certain. I noticed Jake and Norm talking to one another in Na'vi, but I couldn't understand them. I started to raise my right arm to point at Norm, but I couldn't raise it above my chest, the pain was too much for me. Neytiri took my arm and forced it back down, I suppose she could see the pain I was suffering. As I tried to muster my voice, I said, "Norm, Hell's Gate is in danger!" My voice trailed off again as I continued to drink the water given me, by Neytiri.

Jake stood there a moment as I drank the water. He noticed how mangled my Na'vi body appeared, the obvious pain I was suffering. Jake finally spoke, "I didn't know it was possible for someone to use another person's Avatar, but I have no reason to doubt you. Tell us what happened from the beginning."

Just as Jake and Norm kneeled down in front of me to hear my story, Norm's eyes suddenly went blank, as if he were looking into a far off place and his body collapsed. I screamed in panic, with a shaky rough voice, "NO! I'm to..." my voice trailed off in exhaustion. Jake pulled Norm's Avatar to the side, realizing he'd just been disconnected from his body. Jake turned back to me again, and said, "I need to know what happened up there, Nathan."

With my mind still in a foggy state, the water Neytiri had given me had helped strengthen my voice for now. I closed my eyes, leaned my head back against the tree, and started recounting the events that lead up to my decision to risk my life connecting with this Avatar in order to deliver my warning.

My eyes grew wider as I exclaimed, "Betrayed! We've all been betrayed…"


	12. Ch11: Thy Dreams Torn Asunder

**Chapter 11 – Thy Dreams Torn Asunder **

My voice was weak. Neytiri placed more water up to my lips and said, "Nathan, drink the water for your strength." I drank all she gave to me and then I started to recollect the tragedy as it unfolded a short while ago in orbit above Pandora.

"A ship, which we thought was our supply ship entered orbit today."

"A little over three hours ago, I was returning to the station. I said, "Nakia, I've got the comms relay reset. I also reinitiated the link with comms satellite "Bravo" while I was out there. That should give us at least three of the four communication satellites for a while. "Charlie" has still got a few glitches, but I've got a link with it, so I'll work on it later." Nakia's voice crackled through my helmet speaker, "Roger Nathan, come on home. Also, still no reply from my hails, I'm starting think maybe they have a comms problem also. Wouldn't that be strange?""

"There was silence over the speaker for a moment, then I replied, "Yep that would be odd, I can see the ship now Nakia, and if it's a supply ship, then it's the biggest damn supply ship I've ever seen." I could also see the shuttle; it looked like a Valkyrie class shuttle from where I was, as I floated toward the airlock. I was on my way back in and was thinking about how good I'd feel once I had this EVA suit off. I heard static and crackles over my helmet speaker. I said, "I didn't get that Nakia, I can't read you...Damn it! I just fixed these comms. I'm on my way back in now.""

"As I approached the airlock door, I noticed the lights over my right shoulder through the window were flashing red. I thought to myself, "that's odd, was Adam testing the "General Quarters" alarm today?" As I reached the door, my comms speaker crackled again with static and I could tell Nakia's voice was in the static but I couldn't make it out. It was frantic and I felt some anxiety at the sound of it. I opened the outer airlock door and floated inside, as the outer door closed and began to seal. I suddenly felt a streak of pain in my shoulder and head. Everything went dark. I'm relatively sure I heard a crunching sound, the kind of sound metal makes when it's torn apart. Then nothing..."

"When my eyes opened I wasn't sure how much time had passed but as my vision cleared, I realized the station was on emergency power. The airlock had sealed and the inner door had opened while I was unconscious, but my atmosphere gauges on my arm read a weak atmosphere inside the hanger deck of the station."

"According to my suit clock, almost ten minutes had past. The general quarters alarm was still sounding, albeit muffled by the low atmosphere. I just floated there a moment as it all registered in my mind. It occurred to me that something must have hit the station because we were losing atmosphere. I thought to myself, "The Valkyrie shuttle on approach must have collided with the station.""

"I shouted, "Damn, I have to get to the Ops deck now!" The artificial gravity wasn't working on this deck. I stumbled to my feet and stabilized myself in zero gravity and made my way to the Ops deck as quickly as I could. There were small gas fires but they were weak, another sign the atmosphere wasn't going to last much longer."

"The station was a mess. It suddenly struck me that this wasn't a collision with the shuttle. It was the sort of damage a missile or group of missiles would cause, but why the hell would they fire on us? Unless…"Oh shit, it's not a supply ship at all!" As I thought it through my mind I made my way to the Ops deck. In the ladder-way, I saw blood floating in bubbly clots. I paused a moment to realize in the floating cloud of blood was my engineer, Adam. He was a good man and a damned good engineer."

"I paused a moment floating in front of Adam's lifeless body. I said a quick prayer for him and asked God that he'd be the only fatality in this disaster. A prayer I already knew in the back of mind couldn't be answered but my humanity instinctively demanded I least make the request."

"I reached out and grabbed his floating body, stared into his eyes for a moment as they gazed passed me...Under my breath, I said, "I'm sorry Adam." I pushed through the cloud of blood up onto the Ops deck."

"On the Ops deck, the general quarters alarm was still sounding, lights flashing, sparks and small fires were everywhere. Half of the consoles were blown out. My eyes focused on two of my best friends' bodies just floating in place with small clouds of blood floating about them. Nakia and Sheila had been at their stations when whatever it was hit us."

"Suddenly, my thoughts switched gears. Years of military training and experience took over as I remembered why I chose this crew. They were all trusted veterans I had served with. If it had been a collision, then the collision alarm would be sounding right now; instead it's the general quarters alarm. I noticed the console Nakia's body was hunched over. Despite the cracked glass, I could tell it was the station defense posture displayed. Apparently, she was trying to activate the station's defenses manually when we were hit but why didn't Juno automatically respond?" I said aloud, "Juno? Juno, respond!" I thought maybe she was damaged in the attack, either way I didn't have the luxury of time to fix her.

"As anger engulfed my senses, I stated, "It must have been a volley of damned "Can Openers!" That's the rated G nickname for the spatial concussion missile. A name it deserved. They were designed to disable and cause havoc on a spacecraft or space station before being boarded, which would explain the pattern of damage." It was the only weapon I could think of that wouldn't have literally torn holes in the side of the station or just out right destroyed us. There's a reason why space combat is avoided if possible...It sucks for both sides. Suddenly it came to me, that shuttle must be planning to board the station, but why? I wondered, They must be after the scientists!"

"As I scanned across the room, I noticed Sheila's body floating partially hunched over the blown out communications console, and thought to myself, "She was probably trying to warn Hell's Gate. That's what I would of done in her place." I floated over to her, and gently hugged her, pressing her face against my face shield, her blood smeared across my helmet and stained my white space suit. With tears in my eyes I said, "I'll miss you, Sweetheart." After a few moments, I let her go..."

I paused for a few seconds, as tears developed in the eyes of my Avatar body. I noticed several Na'vi had gathered to listen to my story. I said with a hint of shame in my voice, "I let them down, I let all of them down, I'm so…so very sorry." No one said a word, they just watched as I cried. Then Neytiri reached over and pulled my chin toward her so I was forced to look her way, she said, "Nathan, no one decides another's fate but Eywa. It's not your fault, please continue your story," she smiled at me. I wasn't sure what Eywa had to do with the responsibility I felt toward the death of my friends, but her caring smile helped to calm my emotions. I replied, "I'm sorry. I'll try to continue."

"I floated over to the bioenvironmental controls for the Avatar chambers. As my eyes scanned over it, I felt a moment of relief that the Avatar deck still had nominal life support, but it was failing like the rest of the station. The crew deck was sealed off, probably exposed to space; no atmosphere registered; damn, there were six drivers asleep down there. As well, the main crew escape capsule was on that deck. I slammed my fist against the desk console as tears crept from my eyes again."

"I had six possible survivors on the Avatar deck. I floated over to the master Avatar chamber station, Pod One and Four were heavily damaged, but two and three showed a green status, which meant I could still evacuate the scientists if they survived the initial attack. I paused a moment to realize this was an attack...An attack on a UN space station. "What kind of fool does that, I wondered? What kind of fool am I for letting them getaway with it?"

"I could hear the sounds a metal twisting throughout the station, and I re-focused my mind away from the grief and anger. I had to hurry; the station's life was ending. I glanced over at the Central Ops station, gently pushing Nakia's body to the side. I checked the station integrity and just as I suspected, hull integrity was below 50% and falling. The station was essentially breaking up as it fell out of orbit and there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop it."

"I pulled the Central Ops halo console over to a halo tablet, and took it with me as I made my way down to the Avatar deck. I sealed the only corridor hatch I could, in hopes that it would buy some time for the atmosphere. I headed to Pods Two and Three. I hoped they were still functional and maybe the drivers were still in their chambers, since the chambers are equipped with an emergency air supply that could last them a few hours, if needed."

"As I reached the main Avatar Control Center, it was a mess. Doctor Kendrick was dead; he had several burns over his body, from the exploding consoles. It was a disaster in here now, but he had probably been monitoring the chambers when the attack occurred. Again I paused as the grief and anguish tried to overwhelm me, but my adrenaline wouldn't let me stop. The master status display showed all chambers were offline, so all of the Avatars on the surface were down."

"Comms were virtually destroyed; no long range, or ground comms. Damn they knew right where to hit us. "Who are they!" Then I paused a moment and thought, "Maybe I can't contact Hell's Gate, but maybe, just maybe…I checked the systems status. Yes, it was still working! The Superluminal was still online." The superluminal would at least allow me to send a message home. Thankfully, due to its massive power consumption, the Superluminal Communications System was built with extra shielding. Since it was already powered up, it could immediately send a message, at least I thought so."

"I proceeded to search the rest of the deck and managed to find Doctors Taylor, Lischinsky, Rodriguez, and Frost still alive. All four of them were unconscious due to the lack of oxygen. I managed to find emergency oxygen masks for them, but it wouldn't matter soon since the atmosphere was almost gone. Doctor Rodriguez was badly burned. He had been in Pod Four, I think."

"What could I do? This place was coming apart at the seams. Then I heard the station computer, Juno, echoed a message over the intercom _"Shuttle arriving."_ Suddenly, it dawned on me whoever they were probably only expected to find survivors on this deck and certainly not me. I had to get these scientists off the station right now. I scrambled to my feet and checked the pods; each pod had three avatar chambers and four cryostasis units. A stasis unit for each chamber occupant and one pilot in the event of a disaster and the crew escape pods couldn't be reached. As I checked them, I discovered Pod Two only had a single working cryostasis unit, while Pod Three had three of its four working. The decision came down to simple math at that point."

"Emotionally exhausted, I slumped down against the bulkhead for a moment as I realized I could only save three of the scientists. I checked the status of the two-crew escape pods on my tablet. The hanger deck pod was heavily damaged by fire. The other was on the crew deck. It showed to be operational, but there was no way to get them down to it. That left me with only one option."

"I checked the vitals of each of the scientists. I hated to decide who lived or died, it really sucked, but it looked like Taylor, Frost, and Lischinsky had the best chance. I whispered into Raul Rodriguez's ear how very sorry I was; not sure if he could even hear me, then I removed his mask. I thought it best to end his suffering. I thought to myself, "this would probably be a one-way trip for me as well, but I had to try to save the rest if I could." I placed the three doctors into Pod Three's Cryostasis Units. I stood at the hatch to the pod and blankly stared out into the corridor as I realized whoever did this wanted something from the station, more than just people."

""The Station Logs," I mumbled. It must be the logs. They're copied to the station's black box, and would survive reentry. They probably wanted to be sure they're either destroyed or altered, so no one would ever know the crimes they've committed here. Just then I heard the deafening echo of twisting metal. It was a reminder that my time was finite. I had to go now or else we may never leave."

"The intercom came on..."Anyone on board, we are here to help! If you can tell us where you are, we'll come get you. If your injured stay where you are and we'll try to find you." I thought, "Oh ya, go ahead and spread out guys." As I logged into the main computer from my tablet, I activated the over-ride that applied the docking clamps onto their shuttle. With a spiteful grin on my face, I pushed the lock button on the tablet, and said to myself, "You guys just became permanent residents of a station that has only minutes left to live. Enjoy your bloody ride straight to hell!""

I paused again to take another drink of water. Jake said, "Nathan, where is your body now? In space or did you make it to the ground? Did you get a distress signal off?" As I swallowed the water Neytiri had given me, I raised my hand up slightly despite the pain and said, "Please, let me finish this story so you'll know. So someone will know what happened after I'm gone." All of the Na'vi grew quiet again. Except for Jake, it was obvious in their facial expressions they weren't sure exactly what I meant by "after I'm gone." I continued my recollections…


	13. Ch12: Reentry

**Chapter 12 – Reentry **

"I activated the station "Evacuation Protocol," and stepped back into Pod Three, closed the hatch, and made sure the three Cryostasis Pods were functioning properly. Juno's computer voice crackled over the intercom, _"Evacuation Protocol initiated pod links will detach in 10 seconds."_ I checked the pod hatch again to be sure it was sealed and then floated over to the navigation console. In theory this should be able to land itself, but if I wanted to put it down in the Flux Zone near the Omaticaya, I'd have to manually guide it through the landing. I listened as Juno finished the countdown, _"4...3...2...1...Ignition…all pods away."_ I felt a sudden jolt as explosive bolts released the pod from the station's superstructure."

"I rechecked the navigation readings twice be sure they were good. Once we hit the Flux Zone, all my instruments would be useless. I would be blind and falling out the sky. Frustration set in as I started to think about the station and what I was leaving behind. Then I suddenly realized...the auto distress beacon operated on a different system than the normal comms relays. I pulled its status up on the tablet...it appeared to be undamaged but my diagnostic showed it to be disabled. Why would an emergency system be disabled? I tried to reactivate it with no luck. Something or someone had locked me out. Why? Then I heard the pod's thrusters come to life as we began to move away from the station."

"I looked out the hatch window and could see movement on the station...I said to myself, "Bloody hell! Maybe I can get to the logs! Yes, I could do that." As long as I get it done before my tablet gets out of range… After several keystrokes, and a short, vengeful smile on my face, I transferred the logs off station to communications satellite "Charlie." Thankfully I still had its link active on my suit computer. Then I linked them with the Superluminal System on the station so "Charlie" could begin its interstellar transmission home. I muttered, "at least the truth would survive to tell my tale." I pressed the initiate button on my tablet. I slumped to the floor, exhausted. The adrenaline in my system had started to falter."

"I wasn't sure how much of the message would be sent before the station broke up on reentry, but with a little luck some or most of it would transmit. I took a few moments to attach my own message to go out ahead of the logs. God willing, the right people would receive the message."

"I could feel the thruster's fire again and the pod began its descent into the Pandoran atmosphere. I knew the station didn't have long before it would feel the stress of reentry and begin to break up completely, so I said a short prayer for those I left behind. Those I couldn't help. I suppose it was a proper end to the bastards who had murdered so many of my friends."

"Here I was with three survivors, not counting myself, since I had only a few hours of air before my time was up. However, if I could land this pod in one piece, I might be able to warn Norm's people what was coming their way. Maybe, I can reach them in time as I looked over at the avatar chambers. A radical idea had started to formulate in my mind."

"As I stood at the navigation console, I could see out a side window port. "What a beautiful landscape out there" I said to myself as I got a quick view of the floating mountains. I think they're called the Hallelujah Mountains. As the pod hit the Flux Zone, my instruments went crazy! The pod shook and swayed back and forth, as I struggled to keep control of the descent."

"The reentry thrusters shut off, and for a moment all I could hear was the sound of the wind as the pod cut through the atmosphere like a hot knife through butter. The landing thrusters hadn't fired yet and I was getting worried. I frantically scanned the navigation console for the override as I noticed we cleared the 5000-meter mark on descent. "It better work," I told myself. I pressed the activate button and for a second, nothing happened. My mind started to think of how many ways the thruster could have been damaged back at the station during the attack. Then with a quick jolt, they fired; full thrust all at once. I was taken by surprise and thrown against the bulkhead and fell over one of the Avatar chambers."

"I slowly pulled myself up off the deck and I was struck with a sharp pain in my right arm. I grunted in extreme pain, but pulled myself back to the navigation console. The pod's descent was slowing; that was good, but would it be enough? A few moments later I felt the touchdown in a bad way. When I woke up, the first thing I felt was the excruciating pain in my right arm. I laid on the deck looking up at the ceiling, the red hue of the emergency lights flashing on and off, the light of day shining through the hatch window."

"In a scruffy voice, I said, "I'm alive, thank God, but now I was certain my arm was broken." As I gradually stood up and looked around, I thought about leaving a note to whoever found my body, to request that the engineers add a seat at the navigation console. It would be a nice improvement. I slowly straightened my right arm out the best I could but saw nothing useful to use as a splint. I pulled my halo tablet around to look at it but it was broken. "Oh this all sucks, but at least I had my sense of humor," I thought. I gave the broken halo tablet a new purpose…as a splint to brace my arm. Not the best splint but it worked."

"Gravity"...It always felt strange at first and then it became crystal clear in my mind how heavy an EVA suit weighs in real gravity, especially with a broken arm. It took a few minutes but I managed to pull off the suit and find a med kit. I took every shot of morphine it had, but the pain albeit dull, was still there."

"If I had only a few more hours to live, I'd like to feel as little pain as possible, I thought. Too bad we never thought to include any exopacks with these pods. I might have had a fighting chance if we could have made it to one of the Crew Escape Pods; at least they had supplies and exopacks. Anyone who used these pods were supposed to use the Cryostasis Units for the long term. Again, too bad for me, but since everything's gone to shit, I'm expendable anyway. The survival of these civilians takes priority. Their survival was my last responsibility."

"I tried everything I knew, but the pod's communications were too badly damaged from either the attack or the stellar landing I had made. Of course the Flux Zone could be affecting it, I just don't know. I adjusted my ad hoc splint on my arm for better comfort and found myself staring at one of the avatar chambers."

"I recalled a conversation that Doctor Taylor and I had about how the chamber's signal penetrated the Flux Zone when other conventional communications didn't. They operate at a much higher frequency pushing out a lot more power to handle the bandwidth. It seemed like a logical reason why it worked if you had the available power source, which was back on the station. Then it occurred to me that if I connected all three of the chambers emergency power backups together, there may be enough juice to make one bloody connection." That's when my last great idea came full circle as I turned my attention back to the chambers".

"With childlike excitement, I swung around from the navigation console holding my broken arm while I initiated the startup for one of the chambers. I said, "Yes! I may be able to use an Avatar to communicate with the Na'vi. They could get a message to Norm. Although I wish I had spent more time reading up on how these chambers work on the other end, rather than just the maintenance and engineering parts." I grunted in frustration as I started to work.

"I walked over and stood before Dr. James Michael's Avatar Chamber, I was pretty sure his avatar would be somewhere in the vicinity of Jake Sully. James used to talk about their conversations all the time. Clearing my mind, I tried to focus on getting the chamber operational, even as I realized if I plugged myself into it, it might just as well kill me before I can say a bloody word to the Na'vi. As far as I knew, no one had ever tried to connect to an Avatar that wasn't genetically made for them."

"After some rewiring, bypasses, and power crossovers, I thought, "here goes nothing. This may be a one-way trip, but then again I'm already on a one-way trip. The only difference is whether I can save lives before I'm finished. I'd prefer to be the Reapers last customer for today."

"I checked over my work twice and hoped I had it right since I'd probably only get one chance to connect. Maybe the painkillers would help with the nervous system shock, I'm about to experience. I had to try. As the chamber hatch closed it occurred to me, "I could have just peacefully died of suffocation but this machine may wind up killing me in some new and horribly painful way. Wonderful." Everything just faded away into darkness."

"Then I woke up here in this blue body. My best friends are gone and the pain is getting worse. I said, "Jake, that's what happened. I'm sorry I didn't see it coming. I'm sorry I wasn't better prepared. Please, forgive me." With shame in my expression, I looked down, unable to face Jake or the other Na'vi. I mumbled under my breath, "It was my job."

Jake stood up, and spoke aloud to the Na'vi standing nearby in their language. I want to say I heard him hiss when he was finished, or something like that. Many of the Na'vi that had gathered while I told my story ran into the forest. I think he said something about finding the pod or was it shelter? I wish I were better with the Na'vi language.

Jake pulled a device out of a pouch tied around his waist; it appeared to be a small radio. I heard Jake try several times to raise Hell's Gate with it, in both English and Na'vi, with no answer, only static. A moment later, Jake kneeled next to me and placed his hand on my chest. I heard him whispering to Neytiri in Na'vi, but I couldn't hear what they said to one another. I grabbed his arm and in a weak strained voice I said, "Jake, I only have a few hours of air left. My time is nearly up. I can only hope I was in time to warn your people and Norm. His people are in danger, I'm sure of it." Jake grabbed my arm with a firm grasp, and said, "Don't worry Nathan, we'll warn them and with Eywa's Blessing we'll find a way to stop the Sky People again. Now let us take care of you."

I said in weak voice, "save the scientists..."my voice trailed off as it failed all together. I felt my consciousness slipping...so I used my left hand finger to scratch what I thought were the last known coordinates of my pod into the dirt. I tried to read them to be sure I got it right, but I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, I could hear Jake and Neytiri talking again but I couldn't understand much of it. "Who is Moat? I wondered as my thoughts slipped away…


	14. Ch13: Going Off The Air

**Chapter 13 – Going Off The Air **

When I woke up, I could see the trees moving above me. Either they were moving, or I was moving. I tried to focus my eyes to see what was happening around me, but I realized I was on some sort of stretcher being carried by several Na'vi. I noticed several other Na'vi walking behind us, carrying Norm's Avatar on a stretcher as well. I thought to myself, "Norm, I hope you and your people are ok, I hope I was able to warn them in time."

I allowed my eyes to refocus on the trees above; it was easier and less painful. As I laid there staring up into the trees, it occurred to me "I've been in and out of consciousness several times since I initiated the connection. I should have woke up in the chamber but I didn't." I continued to watch the trees as the swayed above me and I listened to the Na'vi talk amongst themselves. They were probably unaware that I was conscious, not that it mattered. I couldn't understand most of the conversation, but I think it was about some kind of exchange or transfer. I thought to myself, "I really wish I'd taken more time to learn their language now."

As I rationalized my condition, I remembered. "Shit! I can't wake myself up. That was one of a dozen different safety protocols I disabled just to get the damned link chamber to attempt my connection with Michael's Avatar."

My eyes rolled to the left so I could see the beauty of the forest between the strides of the Na'vi carrying me. I thought it was beautiful. More so than any forest I'd ever seen. It might be the last thing I ever see, since I can't wake myself up, and I had no idea how much air was left in the chamber's emergency tank. I let my eyes close in order to rest. My consciousness slipped away again through waves of pain rolling through my nervous system.

I awoke a short time later to see the beauty of a huge bioluminescent tree in the distance. It looked surreal, like something out of a dream. I thought it was, incredible and wondered what kind of tree it was…it was beautiful. Jake kneeled down in front of me, "Hey Nathan, you still with me buddy? Wake up...wake up Moat needs to see you." I forced my eyes to open and focus on him and said with great effort, "I'm here Jake, barely. I think the morphine is wearing off, but I'm still with you for now…Where am I?"

Moat, the clan Tshahik, stepped forward. With a strong wise voice she stated, "You are in Eywa's Womb, Nathan LeMay. Jake and Neytiri have told me why you have come to us. I can see the pain you suffer. It takes great strength to willingly endure such pain for others." Moat in a quick motion kneeled down and pricked the skin of my Avatar with some sort of bone pin, and then ran the pin between her lips to taste it. I said in scruffy low voice, "did she just taste my blood?" Moat, turned to look at Neytiri and said in perfect English, "Maybe. I'm willing to try, but he must want it. Eywa will see his spirit and must approve for it to be successful, for only Eywa can truly judge his heart." She walked away out of my sight as I looked up at Jake, Neytiri, and Niysia. The three of them were talking in Na'vi, but none of it made sense to me.

Jake walked back over, kneeled down beside me and said, "Nathan, we've found your pod. It's not far from here, but we can't get inside. Can you wake up and open the door for us?" I shook my head, "I'm sorry Jake. I realized a little while ago, when I kept fading in an out of consciousness, that I couldn't wake myself up. You'll have to force your way in." Jake thought for a moment, "Ok. Do you know the access code for the hatch?" I looked up at him, silent for a moment and then replied, "It should be 7674. Be sure to stand back because the explosive bolts on the door will fire a few seconds after you enter that code."

Jake said, "I got it Nathan. You lay here and rest and I'll see you in a few minutes." Jake stood and turned to Neytiri and Niysia, and said something about making preparations and then he mounted his banshee and flew into the sky. It finally occurred to me what they have been discussing; a transfer process, like what Jake went through. My mind focused on the notion for a while, trying to fathom the variables in such a crazy idea. I lost track.

Several minutes later...

As I lay still on the stretcher propped up against a tree, I stared at the majestic view of the great tree, beholding its brilliance as it flowed in the wind. My mind sat idle as it rode the waves of pain that seemed to grow less and less every minute now. Either I was getting used to the pain, or it was fading. As if it had all been a dream, a sudden spectrum of stunning lights passed through my mind's eye, then darkness.

I awoke back in Pod Three, and the pain faded to a dull sense. The fog over my mind cleared, and as it did I heard Jake's voice, "Nathan, I'm here. The code worked, but there isn't much time. You're almost out of air." When I realized I was wearing the air mask out of my EVA helmet, I reached up with my left hand and adjusted the airflow. My right arm didn't move, but then I remembered it was broken. I guess the morphine was still working after all.

I looked over at the air gauge on the chamber. It read 0% and I understood why the pain had started to fade in the past few minutes. I had been slowly suffocating in the chamber. I sat up slowly and kicked my legs off the side of the chamber. Jake was the only Na'vi inside the pod, but I could see two other Na'vi standing outside. I glanced over at the cryostasis pods and said, "Jake, those are the scientists." He replied, "I know Nathan, they're fine, I checked them already and all three of them are alive and in stable cryo-sleep. We'll come back to get them."

Jake looked around the pod, "You're right, no exopacks. Good thing there was still some air in your EVA suit but it's less than an hour. We have to go now." With Jake's aid, I strapped the tank onto my back and we walked out of the pod, into the warm, comfortable atmosphere of Pandora. The first thing I noticed were the banshees, three awesome creatures. The other two Na'vi were already mounted and ready to fly.

I looked up so the sunlight could warm my face through my mask for a moment, "Wow, It's been a long time since I stood on rock solid dirt with real grass under my feet." Jake said, "It feels good, doesn't it?" I replied, "Very much so..." Jake picked me up by my midsection and sat me down straddling his banshee, and then he mounted the banshee in front of me and said, "Relax, Nathan. This is the safest and fastest way to get you back to the Tree of Souls. Just be sure to hold on tight." I said, "No complaints here," as I braced my right arm against Jake's back and got a grip on his mid-section with my left hand.

We took off and as we moved back and forth through the clouds, floating mountains all around us, Jake said, "Moat and the Omaticaya people are waiting for us. You have a decision to make, Nathan." I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure what to say, but I knew my time was short and I probably wouldn't live to find out. As the few minutes passed that it took to return to the Tree of Souls, I reflected on my life, the good and the bad, and tried to put things in order in my mind. Jake handled the banshee as if it was a part of him; he looked back at me from time to time. I suspect he knew I was contemplating my fate.

When we arrived back at the Tree of Souls, I believe the entire tribe was there; Michael's Avatar body lay at the base of the tree. Moat stood over it. Jake helped me down from the banshee. We walked up to the tree as we exchanged some old war stories, much like a couple of old friends would. I understood now. It had been foolish and selfish of me to have never taken the time before now to meet Jake Sully. I'm honestly a little surprised at their hospitality toward me.

As we approached the tree, Jake sat down first. I took a moment to glance around at my surroundings. There were so many Na'vi, more than I'd ever seen at one time. I found myself focusing on the Avatar body, and Moat said, "Nathan sit here next to the body," she pointed to where I was to sit. I sat down as instructed on the ground next to the Avatar. I looked at Moat, then to Jake, Niysia, and Neytiri. They were many more Na'vi and I recognized none of them, but they all seemed to be staring at me.

Jake said, "Nathan, you have a strong heart. You've sacrificed in order to save my people and the humans. That is a spirit worthy to live on, if you choose." Jake's head turned from me to the Avatar that lay curled up on its side. Neytiri, with a sincere facial expression, said, "You must want to be Na'vi. Eywa must approve, for we are willing to try to save your spirit from passing, but you must want to be one of the people. You must want to live on as a Na'vi."

I said in a humbled tone, "I'm not sure I deserve to be one of you. A Na'vi I mean. I've done only what my duty demanded of me. I expected nothing more." Moat interrupted me, "Words such as that are what make your spirit worthy." I sat there staring at the Avatar body a moment when I noticed a single "Woodsprite" float down from the great tree and light on the shoulder of Avatar body. I looked on as it moved up and down its arm and finally floated up and toward me. I noticed Jake, Moat, Niysia, and Neytiri were watching it as well. As it approached, floating gracefully, I held my hand up to it and it lighted on the top of my hand; floated up my arm to my left shoulder, then floated up into the air and away.

I looked back down in thought for a moment. Glanced at my air supply; it showed about fifteen minutes of air left. Moat broke the silence hovering over the scene, "Nathan LeMay, you must decide. Do you want to be one of the people?" I looked up at Jake, Neytiri, Niysia, and Moat again, then turned to face the Omaticaya people. I thought of my family for a moment and realized I'd never see home again, no matter my decision. However, maybe there is more I can do here. Maybe Pandora will become my home.

I looked up at Moat and said, "Sure. I wish to become Omaticaya, one of the people." Jake, Neytiri, and Niysia smiled and stepped back from me and kneeled a short distance away. I watched them as they attached their queues to the roots of the great tree. Moat said, "Remove your clothing." I replied, "Excuse me?" Neytiri interjected, "Nathan, notice the Avatar body and the many connections the Tree of Souls has made with it. That's why you must remove your clothing, so as many connections as possible can be made with your human body." Jake and Moat both nodded in agreement. I said nothing and reluctantly disrobed.

As I removed my clothing I laid down on the ground next to the Avatar. One of the Na'vi in the crowed stepped forward and placed a shroud made of loose vines over me. It seemed to be alive as well. From the prone position, I looked up at Jake and said, "Hey Jake, don't forget "Who Dares Wins," as I glanced down at the tattoo on my left arm. Jake grinned and nodded once in reply as his attention turned to Moat and the ritual. I laid my head down. My body was as still as I could be with an occasional tremble while the tree made its connections. I heard chanting all around me as the ritual commenced and had no idea what would come next. My eyes closed. No matter what came next I was satisfied that I'd done my duty. I was as ready as I'd ever be for the unknown.


	15. Ch14: Another Part to Play

**Chapter 14 – Another Part to Play **

As my mind grew quiet I felt strangely light headed, as if I weighed nothing. It was like floating in space again. I saw the space station and I reached out to it as it faded into nothingness. I turned to see Pandora beneath me, such a beautiful site; that's when I noticed my arms were blue. I glanced down at myself; my whole body was blue. I had become a Na'vi.

As my skin grew warmer, I suddenly recognized the parallels to a vivid dream I'd had years ago. As I fell towards Pandora my skin grew hot, and I heard my mother's voice say, "I forgive you." This time, the heat didn't overcome me as I descended into the Pandoran atmosphere. I felt the warm air around me as I fell toward the huge jungle trees below. Just as I hit the tree canopy, my vision was encompassed with thousands of flashing lights. Then darkness. Where was I?

A few minutes later, I opened my eyes. A strange sensation flowed up and down my body. It was a different kind of feeling, but familiar as well. I sat up, feeling the tentacles of the Tree of Souls release from my skin. I stared up into the tree, wondering if what I saw and heard were real or just my imagination thrown into chaos. A way for my consciousness to comprehend the radical change it had just undergone. I looked down and saw my human body laying there, no mask, motionless, peaceful, and deceased.

I looked around and realized that Jake, Neytiri, and Niysia were all sitting around me, and Moat stood nearby watching me as she completed the ritual. The pain I had felt before was gone. Moat said, "The transfer was successful, Nathan LeMay stand up so that the people may see you." I did as she said, stumbling at first as I tried to balance myself in this new form, but Niysia caught my right arm and Neytiri caught my left arm to help steady me as I stood up.

Moat said, "Nathan LeMay, Eywa has chosen you, and a Na'vi you are, but to become Omaticaya you must learn our ways." Moat glanced at Neytiri and then turned to stare at Niysia. She continued, "Since Niysia was the first to give you aid as a Na'vi; she will teach you our ways." Niysia looked surprised and started to speak but Moat stared her down. I could tell Niysia knew her place and remained silent. After a few more seconds Moat turned back to me and finished, "Learn well what Niysia teaches you. Your life as a Na'vi depends on it." Moat gave Jake a nod as she walked away into the crowd of Omaticaya.

Jake said, "Nathan, I learned our ways and became one of the people. I know you can do it as well." I nervously glanced down at my former human body for a second. Jake grabbed me by the right arm as brother's would and said, "It will be respectfully taken care of. I promise." Then he looked past me at Niysia and said, "Teach him everything." With a stunned look on her face she replied, "I will, Olo'eyktan." Neytiri smiled at the comment, possibly recalling some similar memory between her and Jake, and then Jake and Neytiri walked down into the crowd among the other Na'vi.

As we left the Tree of Souls, I observed Niysia as she examined my deceased body. It lay lifeless on the ground in front of the tree. Jake had told me she was present during his transition and had been fascinated by the tattoos on his human body. However, she could see my human body was different, a small single tattoo on the left arm, a dagger with wings and the words "Who Dares Wins." Besides the tattoo, she noticed several small scars on the arms and legs, and two strange circular scars that resembled puncture wounds in the right shoulder. I thought, "I suspect I'll have to explain those one of these days."

About an hour later, just as I'd started to get used to my new body and how to walk with a tail, Niysia said, "We will start tomorrow. For now, you should rest." I replied, "Ya, I could use a bloody nap." Niysia just stared at me a moment with a slightly confused look on her face. It occurred to me that my accent was probably something new to her. I resolved from then on to try and keep to a neutral accent as best I could. I thought to myself, even though the pain was gone, my mind felt wore out.

A short while later while Niysia and I sat near a campfire, we talked about the Omaticaya and what she planned to teach me. Out of the darkness, Jake walked up to us with a worried look on his face and said, "Nathan, the pod is gone."

I stood up, almost losing my balance in the process, "It must have been the other humans that attacked my station. Have you heard from Norm?" Jake replied, "Not yet, and I'm worried they're in trouble as well. The scouts should be back soon with news. Get some rest Nathan, you've done all you can for one day." I stood there in thought for a moment, "You're right. I have a lot to do tomorrow," as I turned my head toward Niysia, she nodded approvingly.

Later that evening, the scouts returned with news about Hell's Gate. When I walked up to the campfire where Jake, Neytiri, and Moat were sitting, they stopped their conversation to acknowledge me. I asked, "Any news on Hell's Gate?" Jake replied, "our scouts said the base was dark, with smoke billowing out of several of the buildings. All of the Na'vi at the base were killed. They only found one dead human with her Avatar body and an empty machine gun, so they must have taken the humans prisoner."

I paused in thought for a moment, "if they did take prisoners, it's only a matter of time before they're forced to use their Avatars for some purpose against the Omaticaya." Jake quickly replied, "You're probably right. We'll move all the Avatar bodies to a secure place until we know more." Niysia walked up, "Nathan we need to go. You have much to start learning tomorrow." I nodded in agreement, and said to the group in a humble tone, "Thank you for saving my life." Before any reply could be offered, I walked away following Niysia up into the trees.

The next day...

Jake, Neytiri, Moat, Niysia, and myself stood on a great tree limb in the forest with a clear view of where the first Hometree once stood. Now, most of the remains of the tree were gone and in its place sat a large charcoal gray colored spaceship. Jake said, "I've never seen a ship like that." Neytiri, added, "the Sky People have returned to terrorize and scar Eywa again," she hissed in the direction of ship.

We noticed a wild mountain banshee fly near the huge vessel, as it passed a weapon of some kind fired a sortie of rounds that shot the majestic bird out of sky. I said, "Jake, I believe I recognize what kind of vessel we're looking at." The group turned to look at me, as I continued, "it's a space miner, a ship originally built to mine asteroids in outer space. I don't think I've ever heard of one being used in this way. I guess it's been modified. It doesn't seem as big now, so it must have left its interstellar engine in orbit. The weapon that shot at the banshee was a point-defense cannon. In space it would have been used to destroy small asteroids threatening the ship."

Jake said, "Everything has a weakness, we just have to find this monster's Achilles heel." Neytiri said, "Achilles heel?" Jake grinned at Neytiri and replied, "That's another word for vulnerability." I chuckled, "don't feel bad Neytiri, if you hadn't asked I would have." The conversation lightened everyone's mood some, considering the lingering feelings of anxiety caused by the enormous threat in the distance.

I said, "I suspect the scientists are being held in the ship somewhere, along with Norm and his people." Jake replied, "That makes sense. It's the only source of oxygen for humans left on Pandora." Moat stood in silence, the sadness in her face was obvious, but then again we all held a similar feeling. I said, "We probably have a few months to a year before they exhaust the mine and need to move again." Jake replied, "That will give us some time to find a way to stop them." With a sullen look on my face, "Jake, I'm not sure there is a way to stop it. It's totally self-contained, inside a harden shell with lots of guns. Not a good situation for us." Jake said, "I know, but we have to try." Everyone quickly nodded in agreement except me, but I still reluctantly agreed.

Later that evening, as the Omaticaya tribe sat around the campfires, the people sang songs and told stories, most of which I couldn't understand. I sat near one of the smaller fires and blankly stared into it. In deep contemplation my mind was only just starting to come to terms with the magnitude of the events of the past few days. I reached behind me and lifted my queue up and watched the nerve tentacles move back and forth. Niysia laughed, and said, "You shouldn't be playing with that Nathan." The group around the fire chuckled, and then went back to their various conversations.

I looked over at Jake with a serious expression written across my face. "I think I've just realized something, that seems so obvious to me now." Jake said, "What do you mean, Nathan?" I replied, "The riches of Pandora really aren't in the ground, they're in the biology, the trees, forest, animals, everything here, even in me." Jake replied, " I knew a wise woman once who tried to make the Sky People understand what you just said. Her name was Doctor Grace Augustine and they didn't listen to her." After Jake said that, I sat in thought for a few moments, then looked over at Niysia and said, "No more doubt, I will learn everything you teach me, and I will become one of The People, I will become Omaticaya." Niysia looked me directly in the eyes with what I'd call a curious expression on her face and smiled.


	16. Ch15: Message in a Bottle

**Chapter 15 – Message in a Bottle**

Several hours later aboard the HMS Regulator

Location: Ganymede Orbit, Jupiter Space.

Stated Mission: Enforce interplanetary law and provide humanitarian assistance as needed for all Jupiter colonies.

Classified Mission: Monitor and securely relay interstellar military communications from the Kepler Mid-Range Station and beyond.

It was late in the third shift when Petty Officer Givens leaned back in his chair, and propped his feet up on the communications console. The bridge of the Regulator was reasonably quiet, like usual not much to do but monitor the local and Inter-Stellar comms traffic that passed through this region of space. The oncoming Officer of the Day, Lieutenant Trenholm, had already taken over the Conn and sat quietly to Petty Officer Givens' left near the center of the bridge reading logs from his halo screen.

Petty Officer Givens knew in a few minutes he'd be asked for his daily passdown. He thought, "Oh well, another watch nearly wrapped up." Since his logs were done already, he decided to catch up on some news before his relief showed up to start the day watch. Petty Officer Givens switched on the halo screen in front of him.

The screen came to life and announced, "This is the Global News Network for Jupiter, what would you like to watch?" Petty Officer Givens flipped through several options and finally decided to just catch up on the headlines. The computer voice said, _"thank you for your selection. Here is the top story for this hour."_

"This is Monica Holt reporting for GNN. Today the investigation into Offworld Mining, Inc. took a new turn. During hearings both at the United Nations and in Washington DC, executives for the company denied any connections with a recently indicted RDA executive who has made accusations that Offworld Mining has been acting as a front company for RDA's efforts to send another mining mission to Alpha Centauri's moon, called Pandora."

"As you may recall, Offworld Mining has been under investigation by the European Union, Russian Federation, and United States governments over charges of fraud, bribery of government officials, and misuse of government grants, related to their now debunked claims that they had discovered unobtanium in the outer asteroid belt region in early 2148. That case is still in the courts and the whereabouts of the mining mission sent to conduct the fraudulent operation remain a mystery. So far, efforts to send a ship to investigate the asteroid belt region have been stalled in committee at the United Nations. Rumors that a rogue comet destroyed the venture continue to circulate but no hard evidence supports that theory. For now it seems that the investigation will continue to drag on as it grows and the public continues to seek answers. This is Monica Holt, reporting from the United Nations building, New York."

The computer voice said, _"Would you like to see the next news story?"_ Cynically Petty Officer Givens replied, "No. It doesn't take long to get enough of the bloody news these days."

Petty Officer Givens looked over his shoulder and noticed the Lieutenant was almost finished going over his logs. With the shift almost over Petty Officer Givens decided to enjoy a few moments of silence as he stared out the port window, which provided a nice view of Ganymede in the distance. As he stared out the window, his console beeped, and then began to repeat the beeping with a red border flashing around the outer edges of the halo screen.

Petty Officer Givens focused in on the screen and dropped his feet to the deck. He looked over his shoulder toward the Lieutenant and in loud tone said, "Sir, we're receiving inbound Interstellar traffic on an emergency channel!" The Lieutenant jumped up from his desk, pushing his halo screen away from him, activated his gravity-boots and walked over to see what Petty Officer Givens was talking about.

Petty Officer Givens began to quickly bring up the message, its origin, and other details. He looked up at Lt. Trenholm and said, "Sir, it's an automated distress beacon. The origin appears to be the Alpha Centauri system. The signals a mess…there's signal degradation across the spectrum," Lt. Trenholm interrupted him, "Givens, who the hell is it from?" The Lieutenant looked over his shoulder at Petty Officer Rowans. "Rowans, call the Captain to the bridge now!" She said, "Yes sir!" The Lieutenant turned back to Petty Officer Givens, "tell me something Givens. Who sent the message?" Petty Officer Givens, with sweat forming on his brow, said, "The signals weak sir, give me a minute. I think there's more here than meets the eye. There's the problem…over lapping signals coming from a sub-channel." The Petty Officer's eyes grew wider as more information appeared on his halo screen.

Petty Officer Givens paused a moment as if to think a second and looked back and up at Lt. Trenholm standing behind him. "Sir, I think it's coming from Augustine Science Station, Pandora and it's not just a distress beacon, it's flagged with a "Disaster Protocol." The Lieutenant stood straight up, his facial expression stone cold, as he repeated the words, "Disaster Protocol. I see. Is there any message attached?" Petty Officer Givens pressed several keys on the halo screen, pulled another halo screen over to him. After a few moments, he said, "No sir, no message, not even logs. I'm sorry sir."

Captain Irving walked on to the bridge, Petty Officer Rowans yelled, "Captain on deck!" Lt. Trenholm immediately turned toward him and started to brief the Captain. Petty Officer Givens decided to try to clean up the signal, since he knew the Captain would want to forward it on to Command. While he played with the signal, he realized the sub-channel carried an encryption code, thus the cause of the perceived chaos he was staring at on his halo screen.

A big grin formed on Petty Officer Givens face as if someone had just challenged him to contest of wits. After a few moments the puzzle solved itself when a database hit came up almost immediately. It was military grade encryption he realized and that made all the difference. Finally a match appeared on his screen and authenticated the transmission. Now he was sure of its origins, as the encryption code's details and cradle to grave manifest appeared on his halo screen. Now it was certain, the distress call came from Augustine Science Station. As Captain Irving and Lt. Trenholm discussed their options, Petty Officer Given's looked back at them and stated, "I've got something." Both men immediately turned their attention to the halo screen as a message started to play.

The halo screen was filled with static, but the obvious image of a man in a bloodstained EVA suit with a pulsing red light behind him in smoke filled air appeared. Both the Captain and Lt. Trenholm stopped their conversation to watch the halo screen.

"My name is Nathan LeMay, Chief of Station Operations for Augustine Science Station, Pandora. Myself and Doctors Taylor, Frost, and Lischinsky are the only survivors of an attack on this station by unknown forces that have just arrived in system." A digitally enhanced image of the approaching interstellar ship and shuttle it had dispatched appeared on the screen and were clearly visible in the image; after a moment the screen switched back to the man's face.

He continued, "My station was attacked without warning. We had no time to respond; all of the other crew members and scientists are dead. The attackers used the transponder codes for U.N. supply ship we were expecting later this year. I don't know why or how they orchestrated this deception. By the time you get this, I'll be dead, but I will try to guide these injured survivors who I've placed in cryostasis to the surface, hopefully if the distress beacon in pod three still works, you may be able to find them in time.

"I've activated the Evacuation Protocol because the station's orbit is decaying fast. As well, a presumably hostile boarding party has entered the station from the Valkyrie Shuttle seen in the imagery I provided, which came from the hostile interstellar ship. I've never seen a ship of this class, but it's huge and presumably well armed. I believe their intent is to capture survivors and possibly gain access to the station logs. I've saved all of the logs over to one of our communications satellites in Pandora high orbit. If you get this message, I've included an authentication code in the sub-channel. This will allow you to decrypt the data logs sent along with this message. The logs include a complete record of the attack."

"Please tell my family, I love them." The image holds a few seconds longer as the man stares at the screen, tears rolling down his face. An alarm sounds somewhere off screen. Nathan looks up and away from the screen, then only static as the transmission becomes garbled and a few moments later it abruptly ends.

Petty Officer Givens looked over his shoulder and saw both Captain Irving and Lt. Trenholm as well as the rest of the bridge crew all standing in silence. Petty Officer Givens said, "I'm sorry sir, the end of the transmission was apparently damaged." After a few moments, Captain Irving's voice broke the ambient silence on the bridge, "Bollix! Petty Officer Givens, I want this message sent via priority channels to Command right away!" Captain Irving started to pace back and forth and then stopped in mid-stride, as if in deep thought for a moment, he pivoted on his right boot back toward Petty Officer Givens, and said, "No, wait a second. Belay that last order. Instead I want you to transmit the complete message, including the sub-channel content, via open channels addressed to Command."

Lt. Trenholm said in a confused tone, "but sir that will be a broadcast message with no encryption and no security. Anyone will be able to copy it." Captain Irving shot a sharp glare back at the Lieutenant, "I know Mister Trenholm, I know," his voice trailed off. The Lieutenant stood there a few seconds comprehending the Captains unorthodox order, then in a sudden motion, he snapped to attention with the quick stomp of his right boot, and a sharp salute to the Captain and said with pride in his voice, "Yes sir. I think I understand sir." Captain Irving returned the salute, "I'll be in my quarters if you need me," he walked toward the bridge hatch, and as he walked away, he could be overheard mumbling to himself in faint and angry tone, "Someone needs to pay for this tragedy."


	17. Ch16: The Castle

**Chapter 16 – The Castle**

A short time later on Earth…

Marcus Hall sat silently in his study and watched the broadcast of the final moments of Augustine Science Station on his computer. In the other room, he could hear his family watching the local news broadcast as a continual lineup of experts and pundits discussed the implications of the message. He knew, like all news, this would not last long; a few days at best, and then it would fade in the collective consciousness of the twenty-four hour news-cycle.

While he stared at the images, he clinched his fist; his emotions were a mix of sadness and anger at what had happened to Nathan and his crew. Finally he mumbled under his breath, "I can't look at this anymore." His computer interrupted his train of thought, _"Mr. Hall, I have received a request for voice authentication from an encrypted portion of this broadcast message."_ Marcus sat there a moment surprised at what he heard. Not sure why or for what reason he instinctually replied, "What is the request?" The computer said, _"There is an additional encrypted message for you. Please provide the verbal passphrase."_

Marcus considered for a moment that the message was being broadcast, which meant this question could have happened at any time a voice recognition computer heard his voice. That can't be a coincidence since there were only two computers with the proper software to decrypt the message. Mission Control and here…Nathan would of known that. He tried several combinations of words, but none of them unlocked the message. Finally, with frustration seeping into his voice, he thought about the last conversation he and Nathan had held over some beers the night before he departed for Pandora. He said, "Redemption for humanity." The computer replied, _"Verbal passphrase accepted, Mr. Hall."_

The last few moments of the broadcast began to play. Those moments that were thought to be just corrupted data were actually a super-encrypted datastream. The message played.

Nathan appeared again and he looked back down into the screen. He said, "Marcus, if you get this message, I want you to know. I don't blame you. I read the same intelligence reports you did and even requested the upgraded forces as we discussed, but I never thought they'd come like this. They used our own transponder codes, and they weren't copies. They were the real deal, otherwise my team would have caught on, but I think you know that. My day is almost done, but you have promises keep. I hope you recall the most important one, the one about redemption for humanities' sins on Pandora."

The message faded for a moment, then Nathan's face returned to the screen. "I'm almost out of range. I wish there more I could do or say, but I'm out of time. Just remember, don't let it end like this Marcus." Nathan's face morphed from a stressed frantic appearance into a stone cold face, filled with military bearing, "General, the castle may be gone but I implore you, do not abandon the realm. The situation still requires vigilance, Commanding Officer for Augustine Science Station signing off. Godspeed." The image abruptly ended.

Marcus sat quietly in his study for nearly half an hour, just thinking about the situation. Every attempt he made to replay the message failed. Apparently it was embedded with a self-destructing virus, designed to erase the data after its first run. Yet another one of Nathan's old tricks, Marcus thought. Of course if someone did manage to hack it, they would lack the context to fully understand the message anyway. Marcus, on the other hand, understood exactly what Nathan eluded too.

Finally, Marcus got up and walked over to his wall safe. He placed the palm of his hand against the safe door. After a few seconds, the safe lock released and the door swung open. Marcus pulled out a small flash drive and small pair of dark glasses. He inserted the flash drive into his computer, sat back down, and put on the glasses he'd taken from the safe. He said, "Computer authenticate me." The computer replied, _"Authentication successful, recognize Lieutenant-General Marcus Hall, Canadian Army Retired. Welcome to the joint North American Treaty Organization staff officer's secure military network, how may I assist you."_

Marcus replied, "Deliver the following message with urgent priority to United States Air Force, General Robert Neeck, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Message reads: The castle has fallen: I recommend we meet to discuss any remaining options. End of message." The computer replied, "Message has been sent with urgent priority." Marcus pulled off the glasses and tossed them across his desk. With his head hung low, tears began to sleep down his cheeks as the emotional stress overwhelmed his senses. Marcus cried.


	18. Ch17: Difficult Lessons

**Chapter 17 – Difficult Lessons **

Many days later…

The day had been long, just like every day since my training had begun, always faced with new challenges to overcome. I lay in my hammock exhausted, as the glimmer of the fire pits and campfires shimmered through the tree limbs all around me. I stretched my sore muscles. Earlier today while I was practicing my riding skills on a direhorse, I was thrown off into a thicket of ferns. The next thing I knew I was standing eye to eye with a young thanator.

It doesn't matter if they're hungry or not; these six legged solitary predators are among the most dangerous on Pandora. I had narrowly escaped the beast as it tried to turn me into lunch. I turned over and noticed Niysia lying in the hammock next to mine, watching me. She smiled and without a word spoken she turned over to face the other direction. I stared at her back for a while with a grin on my face. I suspect she knew I was looking at her, since I hadn't made a sound. Finally, I turned over to stare up at the night sky. I could tell she was impressed that I'd managed to trick the thanator into a confrontation with a small group of hammerheads that had been grazing nearby. Thankfully, the thanator lost interest in me, since it had bigger problems.

I had read about thanators in Grace's journals, cunning, aggressive, nearly unstoppable predators; I saw all of that today, and more, up close. It's a truly incredible animal, but I don't know how many times I'll be able to rely on my luck and cleverness to save my life. In this environment I've realized you have to trust your body, and your instincts, to guide your actions.

It's probably not exactly what my instructors meant back in school when they said "instinct and knowledge are indistinguishable in a crisis" or maybe it was and I'm only now getting it. I quietly chuckled at the thought as Niysia turned back over and whispered "Nathan, why are you laughing?" I replied in a whisper so as not to disturb those sleeping in nearby hammocks, "I'm starting to understand your ways, and as I learn, I keep seeing similarities to some of my past lessons, learned a different way, for a different reason, but with a familiar feeling about them."

She grinned, "the Na'vi believe all life is connected in some way, even with the Sky People, if they would just listen." I smiled back at her, "You're probably right. I felt something before I became Na'vi, so I know it's an instinct humans possess if they only pause long enough to feel it," my voice saddened and trailed off. Niysia and I just stared at each other for a moment. Then she closed her eyes and I turned to lie on my back again, my tail wrapped around my right leg. I relaxed and went to sleep looking up into the stars above.

For the first time since I'd been on Pandora, I wondered to myself "did anyone get my message?" The thought faded as my eyes closed.

The next day came early. Like every day a blessing to be alive, or was it Eywa's Blessing, either way I was happy to see Niysia's smiling face in the glimmering dawn light. I thought to myself, "I'd been training now for over a month, I think." I had begun to loose track of the days as I focused on learning the ways of the Omaticaya, both their physical and spiritual lessons. Thankfully, the survival training from my service days helped but some of the Na'vi lessons were purely alien to me.

The most alien was the process of bonding with the Pandoran wildlife. Niysia called it 'shahaylu,' I called it creepy. It was essentially a neural bond that transmits primal emotions between the animal and Na'vi, via their queue. I don't understand all the biology; I just know it works.

Despite my early trepidation toward the use of my queue, my proficiency with the direhorse was steadily improving. I had also demonstrated my skill with both the longbow and direbow in practice. I didn't think it was necessary to mention I'd enjoyed archery as a competitive hobby during my teenage years in England. However, I was still having problems with the language, although Niysia never seemed to give up on me. I had become very familiar with the word "skxawng" during my language lessons for obvious reasons. Languages were never my talent, so being called a moron wasn't far off the mark in my case.

Today we're headed out with a hunting party to look for hexapedes or sturmbeests, and now everything I'd learned so far would come into play. Just as Moat had told me, my life depended on it. I turned over towards Niysia. She had just woken up and I watched her stretch out in her hammock. She looked over at me and in the middle of a yawn said, "Good morning," I replied, "Good morning, I'm ready for the hunt." She said, "Eywa will be the judge of that." A thoughtful grin crossed my face, "Then it's time for me to make my case." Niysia giggled at my reply with a smile on her face, "Let's go," as she pulled herself out of her hammock.

I leaned forward in the hammock and my tail unraveled from my right leg. I just stared at it for a second. I knew it was an instinctual reaction but the concept of having a tail still amazed me, but I pulled myself out of the hammock with ease. Niysia was already up and waiting for me on the tree limb, I thought, "it's a tail. We all have them. No matter how weird it felt to my human side, this tail ensured my perfect balance in practically every situation," as I glanced down at the campfires far below us.

I followed Niysia down the tree limbs to the communal fire pits for some food before heading out for the day's hunt. As we walked, I said in Na'vi, "I'm hunting a hexapede today, with Eywa's Blessing, not a thanator." She laughed, "Your Na'vi is a little better, but be careful with the word 'hunting.' She helped me pronounce it a few times for practice. I asked, "So what did I say?" She replied, "You said, I'm walking a hexapede today! There's a big difference between the word, 'taron' or hunt and 'tiran' which means to walk, but you're improving." We both laughed as we walked into the large group of Na'vi near the fire pit. Several of them looked up from their breakfast to see what we were laughing about. We both suddenly squelched our laughter and presented a more serious demeanor. I whispered to her, "thanks, I'll try to be more careful with that word."

As we sat down near one of the morning campfires, Niysia said with a puzzled look on her face, "I find it strange how easily you've come to know Eywa's Creations and many of our ways, but yet our language has proven so difficult for you. Sometimes you seem to understand things even before I explain them yet you don't' know how to speak of them." I replied, "I wondered how long it would take for that question to come up."

I started to explain, "When I lived in the sky over Pandora, I used to read journals written by Doctor Augustine about Pandora. She wrote about your ways; culture, humans would called it, and the wildlife and plants of Pandora." Niysia nodded understandingly with a quant smile, "so that explains why you have learned so quickly. You didn't tell me you had read so much about our ways."

I blushed, "There was no offense intended. When I began learning from you I wasn't sure how much of the things I'd read would help me. As it's turned out, I learned a lot from those late nights reading about her work. Of course being here, living as a Na'vi, has helped bring those memories to life in me." Niysia said, " I suppose it would, let us eat now. We have a long day ahead of us." I nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, across the way on the other side of the fire pit, I noticed Jake and his family enjoying breakfast together. Jake, Neytiri, and their young daughter Tarya sat around the fire with Moat. I could tell their conversation was serious by the way their daughter's attention was focused on Moat and Jake. Tarya had to be at least seven or eight seasons old, maybe more. I don't see how Tarya could be Jake's daughter but after asking twice I've given up. Niysia said she's their daughter and so I guess she must be their child. Either way it wasn't my business to know. It still didn't make sense but some things in life you just accept and move on. I had more important things to worry about, so despite my curiosity, this was one of those times for me. I turned my attention back to Niysia and the conversation around our own fire.

A few moments later…

Jake looked across the way and noticed Niysia and Nathan eating and enjoying the morning conversation with the others around their fire. As he glanced back to Neytiri and his young daughter Tarya he thought to himself, "Nathan has made the transition better than I'd expected, perhaps to easily considering the trauma he faced when he arrived. For some reason I can't shake the notion that he's holding something back. A secret he doesn't trust us with. Despite what Norm said about him, I suspect his story is more complicated than we know. Even the young can tell there's a tinge of fear in his eyes. He tries to hide it but it's always there. It's not a fear of the People or Pandora but something else, something worse than those Humans out there. If my instincts are right then we all have good reason to worry."

Neytiri said, "Jake are you ok?" Jake shook off the blank expression on his face and turned his attention back to Neytiri. He spoke in Na'vi, "Nathan has learned quickly, perhaps even faster than I did," Neytiri grinned, "He never had a choice, or the conflict you suffered, when I taught you." Jake thought for moment and replied, "I guess you're right, but I'm still impressed he's been able to transition so quickly. Not all humans could of made the change." Neytiri conceded the point with a slight nod.

Moat with a rather assumptive expression on her face said, "Eywa does not choose poorly. Eywa provided strength and wisdom to Nathan, because Eywa knew he could make the transition even before Nathan knew he could. However, I still sense conflict in his heart, although his loyalty is yours, Jake. He believes in you and Neytiri; your example has given him direction. As well as Niysia, who has grown in maturity herself since she confided in me her own doubt and fear in her responsibility to teach him a short month ago."

Neytiri said, "Perhaps so Mother, but everyone needs time to adjust to their surroundings, just like a child." As she glanced down at Tarya sitting next to her, Tarya giggled with a smirk at her mother's mentioning of her name. Jake said, "Moat you're probably right like usual, but we have to be careful not to push him too hard. As you once spoke of filled cups to me, I believe his cup was about full, and now he's struggling to reconcile his past with what he must do in the present. I suspect it's not been as easy for him on the inside as he's tried to make it look outwardly." Moat and Neytiri both nodded in agreement.


	19. Ch18: Eywa's Blessing

**Chapter 18 – Eywa's Blessing**

Several minutes passed as I enjoyed my breakfast grubs along with a delicious piece of fruit. I found myself listening to Niysia and the other Na'vi gossip about the big human spaceship and it's purpose on Pandora. My immediate interest was how good the fruit tasted and then it occurred to me. The rumor mill must be a common thing throughout the universe. I chuckled at the thought as I enjoyed the fruit. The others glanced at me once or twice but paid me no attention as I smiled at them and kept eating.

Just as I finished eating my fruit, I noticed across the way that Jake and several of our clan's best warriors were preparing to leave Hometree. I nudged Niysia to get her attention and said in near perfect Na'vi, "Jake, Wokan and the other warriors are leaving. I hope Jake isn't going to attack the Sky People; at least not yet." Niysia replied, "he must do what he must as Olo'eyktan and you should focus on today's hunt, Nathan." She reached up with her left hand and grabbed my chin and pulled my attention back toward her. She stared into my eyes, "focus on the hunt, you must become one of the People before you can help Jake and the other warriors."

I replied, "You're right. You've reminded me several times since my training began that I'm not allowed to speak on matters of the clan until I'm Omaticaya. Lets go hunt." We stood up and put away our leaf plates. I followed Niysia to meet up with the hunting party at the edge of the forest.

My thoughts drifted back to what Niysia had told me a few days prior, that she had overheard Jake and several elders talking about a war party to try and board the sky ship so they could rescue Norm and the other friendly humans. I tried to speak to Jake then, but was stopped because only an Omaticaya can speak to the clan leader. I didn't like it but I understood. For a human I guess it would have been like a first year Cadet demanding to talk with a Fleet Admiral.

I've not spoken to Jake or Neytiri since the day after I became Na'vi, but I've seen them watching me from time to time at a distance. I suppose he didn't need to hear my opinion. I'm certain he knew I didn't approve of an attack. I had said so the day after I'd became a Na'vi, just before I started training. Any attack was going to cost a lot of Na'vi lives. I guess he was under pressure as Olo'eyktan to provide leadership and in this case he had to take some action. Not wise but probably unavoidable because his warriors were restless to fight. I suspect they'll feel differently about it by nightfall.

I looked skyward and saw Jake and his war party fly off on their ikrans in the direction of the sky ship. Without warning all the Na'vi around me started making noise as if they were pulling for their favorite rugby team. I thought for a second, that's odd I used to call them banshees, now I think of them as ikran. I guess I'm starting to think in Na'vi more often these days. I chuckled under my breath and refocused on the scene of ikrans flying away. Despite the reality of the scene in my gut, I found some instinctual hint of patriotism and I blurted out "Give'em Hell boys," and joined in with the others for a few moments.

Once they were out of sight, I sat back down next to the fire and under my breath I said a short prayer for them, "May God and Eywa be with you today, Jake. You're going to need them." I turned to look back in the direction they had flown. I mumbled, "I was probably the only one in Hometree that didn't know about it. That was probably Jake's doing and I would have probably done the same if I'd been in his shoes. Suddenly my train of thought was broken as Niysia called to me, I looked over at her and said, "Oh yes, I'm ready. Sorry, I can't help but worry for Jake and our warriors. I promised I'd focus, so now you have my complete attention. Lets hunt!"

At the edge of the forest, the party gathered. I knelt down into a crouching stance, my tail whipped back and forth behind me, and I produced a growling hiss in the direction of the forest, Niysia and several of the other Na'vi in our party followed suit with similar hisses. It was a Na'vi tradition to warn the forest that we were coming to hunt its prey.

We dispersed in a staggered formation and cautiously and quietly made our way into the forest as a hunting party, bows ready for any sign of prey or predator. I thought, "By tonight I'll be a hunter. If I'm successful, one-step closer to becoming Omaticaya. Failure was not an option." My eyes focused on the deep forest, my ears taking in the sounds all around me, the keen senses of my Na'vi body all in tune. The hunt had begun.

As the day passed, we slowly and stealthily made our way through the forest until we came upon a small herd of sturmbeests in the distance. The animal reminded me of the buffalo species on Earth, but like most Pandoran animals, it had six legs with colorful diverse markings. It was a lucky opportunity since these beasts only occasionally ventured into the forest. Niysia motioned with her hands for me and two other Na'vi to flank the small herd.

Ateyo, Nikti, and I proceeded over a log lying on the forest floor and into a dense group of ferns, so as to hide our scent from the herd. My prior military training lead me to quickly find the best firing position with cover and I took aim on one of the creatures as I reminded myself, "don't wound it, make it a clean kill." I waited for the signal so the others in our hunting party could reach their positions. A moment later, I heard the sound that closely mimicked a forest bird song that was Niysia's signal.

I checked my aim and thought, "Don't screw this up, an don't forget to do the ritual phrase after the kill." I aimed long for the distance, taking into account the forest breeze in the air. Just before I released, one of the other Na'vi in Neytiri's group took a shot at one of the other animals. The herd was alert now and the sturmbeest in my sights turned and looked straight me. I'm not sure if he could see me; nonetheless my instincts took over as I realized he was about to run. I quickly predicted his stride path. Time seemed to pause as I held my aim perfectly on the target. I released the arrow and with a whining hiss it cut through the thick forest air; the sturmbeest panicked at the sound of my bow's recoil, but it was too late. The beast ran right into the path of my arrow.

I crouched down and my eyes followed the wounded sturmbeest. At the same time I glanced from side to side as I kept watch for any other predators in the area. I knew it had taken a fatal hit, but I wasn't sure how clean it was or how far I'd have to track the beast if I didn't finish it now. It wasn't getting away.

Without further hesitation, I bolted after the sturmbeest as it ran swaying back and forth through the forest, the arrow firmly planted right behind its second leg. The beast's strength was being sapped as blood flowed freely from the wound. I jumped over several rotting tree trunks as I pushed through the forest underbrush in pursuit. All of my Na'vi senses and life experience brought to bare as I tracked the wounded animal with Ateyo and Nikti close behind me. With long strides, my tail whipping from side to side as I strided along a parallel path with the wounded animal, I leapt into the air. As I sailed through the air pulling my knife out, I came down directly on top of the sturmbeest, straddling its mid-section up close to its neck.

With a tight grip on the ridge bone up along its neck, I plunged my blade deep into the lower neck region and the sturmbeest crashed to the ground in a sudden thrash of agony. I twisted the knife to cut off its nervous system; which ensured a nearly painless death and quick end to its suffering. The excitement I felt and adrenaline in my system made my heart feel as if it were about to explode from my chest, I immediately withdrew the knife, wiped it across my leg and re-sheathed it.

I knelt down over the sturmbeest as it took its last breath; Ateyo and Nikti joined me. I recited the ritual phrase Niysia had taught me, "I see you Brother, and thank you. Your Spirit goes with Eywa. Your body stays behind to become part of the People." I pulled the arrow from the sturmbeest's mid-section, and gently patted it on the side of it head as its eyes closed. I stood up to find Niysia standing right behind me. She surveyed the scene with pride in her face, "It's a great honor for any Na'vi's first kill to be a sturmbeest. Eywa has blessed you today and you showed respect to Eywa with a clean kill." She paused a moment as if in thought and continued with a serious tone in her voice, "I believe your ready to climb Iknimaya." Ateyo and Nikti both nodded in agreement at Niysia's statement.

I just stood there for a moment and stared at Niysia. I tried to get control of my emotions as I was still experiencing an incredible adrenaline rush. I looked around and realized the rest of the Na'vi in the party had arrived. Apparently the other shot had missed its target. We could still hear the remains of the small herd as it fled deep into the forest. None of the Na'vi sought to pursue them; they understood this kill would be enough. I could see the difference and thought, "hunting to feed the people is far more desirable than just hunting other men. I prefer the Na'vi way."

The party gathered and we cleaned the slain sturmbeest down to its bones. We even carried some of bones back with us. As we returned to Hometree, I recalled something I had read in Grace's journals, "Everything is useful to the Na'vi." If I remember right she used that sentence many times throughout her journals. It's ironic how her words have meant more to me now as a Na'vi than they ever did when I was still human."


	20. Ch19: Mixed Emotions

**Chapter 19 – Mixed Emotions**

As we were walking into camp, a strange dizziness came over me. I felt as if I were about to pass out. I knelt down onto one knee and dropped everything I was carrying to grab my head with both hands. I made a low growl, Niysia stopped next to me, "Nathan what's wrong with you?" I replied, "I don't know. I suddenly felt disoriented and light headed. I don't have any better way to describe it, but it's fading now. Maybe I've just had too much excitement for one day." I shook it off as my head cleared and Niysia reached down to help me back to my feet. "Perhaps so," she said.

As I started to get up, I instinctively took her hand and rose to my feet. My eyes immediately met with hers. We both stood there a moment staring into one another's eyes, while some of the other Na'vi walked on past us into camp, glaring at us as they passed. I'm not sure what they thought nor did I care because I found myself enamored for a moment with Niysia's gaze. She looked away first and I instinctively looked down at the ground. In a bashful tone, I said, "Thanks for helping me up," and I reached down and picked up my things. We walked on into the camp to celebrate the successful hunt.

I was going to enjoy tonight's meal since I knew precisely where it came from. I watched as several of the females took some of the meat from the day's hunt and began to turn it into a huge meal for the clan. As usual it would be a meal that enticed the senses with sweet odors of delicious food being prepared over an open fire pit. The closeness of the Omaticaya and their sense of community had become one of my favorite things about them and it especially showed at mealtime.

My mind had turned inward as I closed my eyes and thought about my recent days with the Na'vi and how they had culminated in this moment. I mumbled, "This had been a good day, perhaps one of the best…" then like the others I heard them. It was the sound of many ikrans in the sky. I looked up and scanned the horizon in all directions. In the distance was Jake's war party returning to Hometree. I instinctively counted their numbers as my pleasant mood began to fade.

Niysia was standing next to me and said, "the war party returns. I wonder…" as her voice trailed off. I slowly looked over at her. I had already counted them and it confirmed my earlier fears. We had lost several of our brothers to the Sky People. We both sat down next to the campfire with sadness in our faces. Niysia whispered, "Jake is our Olo'eyktan, he had to try. Nathan, you know that, don't you?" I looked up at her, with a single tear running down my right cheek and said, "I guess so. I feel like a being of two spirits. My Na'vi spirit says yes, I understand; but my human side knows it was a waste of good warriors."

Niysia thought a moment and replied, "Which side will you respect?" I stared at her a few more seconds and replied, "I'm a Na'vi now, and that spirit grows stronger everyday." Niysia smiled at my reply and reached out for my left hand, grasping it, "You will soon be Omaticaya and you'll be able to speak to the people and to Jake." She paused a moment, "even if your Na'vi isn't perfect." A short moment passed and I looked up at her and grinned, "How is it you always find ways to make me smile even when I don't' want too?" We both quietly laughed for just a few seconds. Then the seriousness of the present resurfaced on our faces and we went to see what aid we could give to the returning war party, along with the rest of the clan.

As we approached the clearing next to Hometree the ikrans started to land, I saw Jake slide off the side of his and immediately fall to his knees. He had a wound in his left shoulder and cuts on his legs. His ikran had similar cuts and tiny holes in his right forward wings. Most of the warriors were wounded to some extinct. I said nothing. I had promised Niysia I would stay silent, but I recognized the wounds. They came from the spaceship's point defense cannons, I had warned them about. Thankfully for Jake, those weapons only fire small caliber scatter rounds, designed for space, not Pandora. They aren't as accurate as a point defense weapon built for use in an atmosphere but still very dangerous against unarmored flesh. Bottom line, they can still kill you or make you wish you were dead.

I helped several wounded warriors dismount from their ikrans. The smell of blood and suffering was thick in the air. No one needed a queue connection to the ikrans to sense their pain, as each warrior dismounted their ikrans immediately flew away limping through the sky. I'm sure to find some refuge to heal themselves or die of their wounds. How long that would take, I had no idea.

As I tended to Wokan's wounds, he grabbed my arm to pull me closer. He whispered, "Nathan, don't blame Jake. The other warriors and I forced him to take action, and I understand now. You were right, these Sky People are powerful but cowards…" his voice trailed off as he fell unconscious. I was stunned by his words as I stood up and blankly stared at Woken as he was carried away. Na'vi anatomy wasn't my strong suit but based on the wounds I could see, I wasn't sure if he'd survive. I looked down and saw his blood on my hands and arms, and knew that I needed to climb Iknamaya as soon as possible. Jake and Neytiri needed my help. The Omaticaya needed my help.

I realized after a moment that Jake was standing nearby staring at me. He said nothing. He had tears in his eyes, his sadness apparent at what had transpired. He turned and walked away with Neytiri as she tried to treat his wounds. I looked to the horizon and saw the last glimmer of light as the sunset. My knees felt like they wanted to buckle as I knelt down onto both and cried. It dawned on me that there could be many more days like this one, ahead.

Niysia walked over to me and placed her right hand on my shoulder. I looked up. Her face was sad; tears had swollen her eyes as well. Blood was streaked across her left cheek. She said, "Nathan we need to go now, there is much to do." I replied with a determined voice, "I need to climb Iknamaya." She could see the determination in my face. She closed her eyes and her right hand squeezed my shoulder as she nodded with approval.

Encrypted Interstellar Burst Transmission via Superluminal Comms to Earth

Date: 19 July 2155

From: Unknown Sender (Error 321)

To: Angela Yeager – Special Projects Division

Subj: Shell Game Update

Miss Yeager,

It is my pleasure to inform you that the mining ship Dark Miner has successfully achieved its primary objectives. Product is currently being mined and refined for shipment home on the next available transport. We are expecting a U.N. supply ship to arrive within the next 60 days. We have high confidence of gaining control of the ship for our needs. Also, you should be aware that the locals have attempted to breach our defenses and have failed. We suffered no losses. We estimate their casualties at about 30-35%, perhaps more. We don't anticipate any further interference from the Na'vi for a while. Our inside man survived. We've gone to great lengths to ensure his cover remains intact. He has managed to infiltrate the Na'vi so as to provide us with continued intelligence of their intentions.

As well, we've received confirmation of the expected arrival of our sister ship. Two mines will be very good for business and add pressure back home. As soon as we can get unobtanium back to the market on Earth, it will silence any do-good politicians and help our friends make our actions legal. As for the science station, accidents happen. It was a tragedy that all hands were lost.

I will keep you apprised of our progress.

Very Respectfully,

C. Porter

Director, Project Shell Game


	21. Ch20: Blooded

**Chapter 20 – Blooded**

Several days had passed since the failed war party returned to Hometree. I hadn't seen Jake or Neytiri since then. After the vaunted success of my first hunt, Niysia managed to convince Moat that I was ready for the final challenges. Reluctantly, Moat agreed and later that evening I found myself standing before her and several other elders. Moat said, "Nathan LeMay, if you survive this night you will be enlightened, wiser, and ready to climb Iknamaya.

The ritual was called the Unriltaron or "Dream-Hunt." This was the last step before a warrior was deemed ready to choose his own ikran and thus be accepted as one of the People. To say the least, I survived but it was no walk in the park. My experience was filled with deep emotional anxiety. I had been told my Niysia that some Na'vi have died during the drug induced ritual and no one comes out of it unchanged; I would be no different. The ritual's intent was to grant you a glimpse into your destiny and help you discover your sprit animal. A spiritual entity that would follow, protect, and guide you throughout the rest of your life. Thankfully, these dreams are considered private and so was your spirit animal.

The experience was mentally and physically grueling. When it was over, I simply stared up at Moat and the others with tears streaming down my face; no words were exchanged. We nodded at one another and I slowly pulled myself to my feet and staggered away like a hung over drunkard. I was grateful for no questions but I couldn't hide how disturbed I felt and I'm certain they saw that in my face. My dream hunt was more akin to an apocalyptic nightmare and I had just assumed not speak of it again. Especially since some of the bloody visions must have been drawn directly from my own guilt-ridden conscience. I recalled only one bright light throughout the entire ordeal. Niysia.

As for my spirit animal, if I understood what I saw, it was no less than a gray thanator. Not exactly the most popular animal in the Na'vi culture, so I kept it to myself as well. Despite the disturbing dreams and my predatory spirit animal, no amount of preparation could fully prepare a Na'vi warrior for their first encounter with the mountain ikran that chooses them. Now I firmly understood why the humans called them "banshees." Niysia had even reminded me three times about the dangers but like usual I would have to learn the hard way that every bonding was a unique experience.

Four days later atop Iknamaya…

With the wind in my hair, my queue flailed back and forth behind me as I struggled to reach for it. I finally managed to grab a hold of my queue and make the connection. The nerve tentacles intertwined with the ikrans as the powerful mountain banshee balked at my presence while we flew wildly between floating mountains. I had broken a horse once in my youth, but no matter how long you hold on there's only one way to break in an ikran, the hard way.

My mind slipped back a few moments as I reflected on how close I came to skydiving without a parachute. I had thought that the ikran had meant to kill me, for sure. I had quickly got the best of him and mounted the winged creature even while it continuously slashed at me with it sharp talons. My first attempt to connect didn't work out as planned and he through me off toward the cliff. I caught a vine as I sled over the edge. I paused a second to catch my breath as I recalled Niysia's warning about how the ikran usually try to toss you off the cliff. I glanced down and saw clouds below me and grimaced at the view.

With renewed vigor and a healthy desire to live, I pulled myself back onto the ledge, and managed to mount him a second time. This time he took off with me barely holding on. The ikran made a muffled screech as I screamed in terror but refused to let go. Even with his mouth tied shut, these creatures were awe inspiring and deadly. This time I had a grip on his queue and as we both dove toward the clouds at breakneck speed I made the connection between our queues; the feeling was primal and instinctual, but he was mine.

My mind jolted back to the present as I noticed blood all over my left side and realized he'd slashed a deep gash in my left arm up near my shoulder with one of his wing talons during our struggle. It all happened so fast, I'm sure he did it before I mounted him the first time. I thought it was a lot of blood but that problem would have to wait. I hope Na'vi chicks dig scars because that's going to be a good one, if I live through this flight. I held on tight and concentrated on my new companion. I thought, "fly straight and bank right," the ikran complied.

I leaned from side to side as my new best friend swayed in unison with my thoughts. My blood striped his wings as it flowed from the deep gash in my left arm. It was a dangerous wound, but Niysia had warned me that I couldn't wait to take my first flight. I recalled her words, "The first flight bonds the Na'vi with their ikran." It was necessary in order for the bond to become permanent. So I did, pain not withstanding. I glanced down at the wound on my left arm and noticed it was still bleeding. I suddenly felt as if I'd been branded and it occurred to me that I was as much his Na'vi as he was my Ikran. I smiled at the idea and despite the pain, enjoyed the wind in my face.

As we banked around a great waterfall coming off one of the Halleluiah Mountains, Niysia joined me in flight on her ikran. We flew in perfect formation, swaying back and forth, as I gained greater control. I reached forward and pulled loose the restraint on his jaw; he immediately made a loud screeching sound and I said, "You're welcome."

I looked over at Niysia. I could tell she was pleased but also concerned at the amount of blood I was losing. My left arm was growing weak and as I looked behind me, my blood had left several stripped patterns on my ikran's wings. I thought I'd name him Blood Stripe in honor of this day. Despite the fact he nearly killed me. I screamed a hiss with mixed laughter and I felt more alive than I'd ever felt before. It was just as Jake had described, incredible.

Niysia noticed the obvious weakness in my body language caused by the blood I'd lost from my wound, especially since my flying had become more erratic. She called to me, "Nathan, he is yours now. Let's go home before you fall out of the sky for lack of blood!" I had started speaking Na'vi full time now, "Ok. I think Blood Stripe agrees. He can probably tell I'm getting weak." She replied, "Blood Stripe?" I grinned, "Yes. See the blood stripes on his wings? It's my blood, and he's earned it!" She laughed, "If you say so Nathan. Follow me home; we'll take the fastest way!" She and her ikran dove and I followed, staying in close formation.

When we arrived back at Hometree, two other young Na'vi who had climbed Iknamaya with us had already returned successfully, so the clan was waiting for us. As I landed, it felt like I nearly crashed. I patted Blood Stripe on the side of his head just above his eyes. As I climbed down, I disconnected my queue. Just as I did, I felt a wave of fog come over my consciousness and I fell to my knees. I noticed fresh blood covering my left arm and my last thoughts were, "Bloody hell, the connection does more than… he kept me…" I faintly smiled at the waiting Na'vi and fell forward as I past out from a lack of blood.

A few days later, I woke up in my hammock. My arm was clean and bandaged. The pain was mostly gone. I was staring up at the stars and I could hear singing down below me. I looked around as my eyes adjusted and realized that Niysia was lying in her hammock next to mine. She appeared to be asleep, so I whispered, "Niysia, are you awake?" Her eyes opened quickly and she turned to look at me, "Nathan?" I smiled, "Wow. What a ride." We both just stared at each other a moment. Then I broke the silence, "Am I ready to become Omaticaya?" Niysia replied, "Yes. The clan has been waiting for you to recover from your wounds." I nodded as I looked down and ran my right hand over the wound. It was apparently healing all right. I'm amazed how resilient the Na'vi anatomy is compared to humans. No human would have recovered so quickly.

We both climbed out of our hammocks and stood on the tree limb. I took her hand and she turned toward me. I said, "Niysia…" she stopped me by placing her hand over my lips and said, "I see you." She took her hand down and placed it over her heart then she reached forward and placed her hand on my chest right over my heart. I slowly replied, "I see you," and I reached up and did the same, placing my hand over her heart. The affection in her eyes was evident, but I realized she was right. This was not the time.

We walked down to the base of the Great Tree to the where the clan was singing. As soon as we entered, the singing subsided. I saw Jake stand up and immediately start walking toward us. Neytiri took Tarya's hand and both stood up and walked over, with Moat and several other Na'vi close behind. Quickly, I realized the moment had come. Jake said, "Nathan, you have learned our ways; proven yourself as a hunter and shown respect towards Eywa. You are ready to be Omaticaya."

As he stood in front of me, he placed his hands on my shoulder. Niysia and Neytiri followed suit, placing their hands on my shoulders from where they stood. I watched, as a network of Na'vi with me in the center reached out arm to shoulder. Jake said, "As Omaticaya, one of the people, you may now cut a limb from Hometree to make your own bow, you may speak as one of the People, and you may choose a mate." The sound of chanting rose up among the clan. I was now Omaticaya. Right after Jake finished his statement my eyes found their way to meet Niysia's gaze. Her facial expression softened and turned into more of a romantic smile. Without speaking aloud, I mouthed the words, "I see you," and she did the same. I knew at that moment we had chosen each other.

Neytiri, from her vantage point, saw everything. She whispered into Jake's ear. After a moment I looked back at Jake. His serious expression had been replaced by a grin on his face. He simply said, "Congratulations." I was surprised at first; until I realized Neytiri was grinning as well. It dawned on me they both knew how Niysia and I felt about each other. As I glanced at Moat, the pleased expression on her face implied that our bonding was probably her intention from the beginning.

Perhaps it was destined, a blessing from Eywa, or just two hearts that grew close over time through shared experiences. Whichever it was, I didn't mind. Soon the whole clan would know, so I simply smiled and said, "Thanks, Jake." I glanced at Niysia again and back to Jake and continued, "and thanks for the second chance at life." Jake glanced at Niysia and then at Neytiri, his daughter standing next to her. He smiled and replied, "Eywa has blessed us both, Nathan."


	22. Ch21: Charlie's Office

**Chapter 21 – Charlie's Office**

The next day, in Mr. Charles Porter's office aboard the Dark Miner…

The room was lighted with low, soft lights for energy conservation. At a large desk sat a balding, pale-skinned man in his late 50s, wearing a suit with loosened tie. The light reflected off his glasses as he typed notes for his ship's log. The buzzer at the door sounded. The man didn't answer at first, but the buzzer sounded a second time and this time he stopped typing, looked up, pressed a button on his desk and the door opened.

Standing in the door was the figure of a handcuffed man with guards flanking him on each side. The man behind the desk said in a monotone voice, "Bring him in and sit him down." The guards complied, pushing the man into the room where his face could be seen. The handcuffed man appeared to be in his late 30s or early 40s, a dark complexion, brown hair and eyes. The guards sat him down. The man behind the desk nodded to them and they turned and left the room. The door closed securely behind them.

The man behind the desk stood up, pulled his glasses off and tossed them on the desk with a clang. He stepped from behind the desk toward the seated man and grinned, "Dr. James Michaels, so good to see you again. I've heard good things about your recent work." James facial expression had appeared angry at first but since the guards had departed, his features had softened and his expression had transitioned into a constant grin. He laughed as he said, "Ya, I guess it is good to see me, Charlie. Now if you don't mind, can we lose these cuffs since it's just us in here?"

Charlie Porter pulled out a key and unlocked the cuffs and replied, "I think so. You've done a fine job of keeping your cover among the prisoners. Not even the guards in the detention center were allowed to know your real reason for being there."

James replied, "I know. It was necessary to ensure there were no leaks. I've been doing this job too long to allow a mistake this late in the game. Only the lab team and you have known the truth. However, I suspect my status is about to change. I think we've gotten everything of value out of Spellman and his people. Between my interaction with them as a fellow prisoner and your interrogations, I feel if they knew anything else, they would of talked by now. Especially after you provided them proof that Augustine station was gone and no one was coming for them. I think they're ready to join the other scientists in cryostasis. After all, you can never have to many valuable hostages in this nasty business."

Charlie laughed nodding his head in agreement. "I guess the rouse is up for you. I'll have them placed in cryostasis today, so your cover will still be effective with them if we ever need to wake them again."

James thought a second, "that sounds good to me. I have what I need from them. As for the Avatar drivers, I think we made the right decision not to use them. I suspect the ones who did agree to cooperate were only doing so in order to try to deliver a message to the Na'vi. Either way, there wasn't enough to gain by using them and too much risk. Better to just let the old Avatars die and leave the Na'vi wondering what really happened. Besides, we have our own to use when the time is right."

Charlie stepped back behind his desk and said, "Since we're talking about Avatars, what's the status of your new Avatar and the modified chamber?" James replied, "My new Avatar is ready and the modified chamber is working at 100% now. I've gotten the connection calibrations refined to the point that the target doesn't feel a thing when I want to connect with him. As a matter of fact, I watched through his own eyes, as he became one of the People yesterday. I think he may have a girlfriend too." Both of the men laughed and Charlie said sarcastically, "Wow, what an accomplishment, from distinguished officer with multiple Summa Cum Laude Doctorates, to a tree hugging alien on a hell whole moon. I wonder what his parents would say?"

James added, "I never actually met them and Nathan never talked about them. Not even his crew would talk about them. From what I've read in official reports, he wasn't on good terms with either of them for some reason. After his father died, he took the Pandora job. I guess he wanted to mend the relationship, but by the time he got here it was to late. I don't' think he ever got over it but that's neither here nor there." Charlie chuckled, "Sounds like another sad story." James nodded and Charlie continued, "In that case, we can use him right?" James replied, "of course we can. I've even figured out how to assume motor control when his mind is asleep."

Charlie rubbed his fingers against his chin thinking for a few moments. He nodded, "Ok then. Lets use this abomination to kill Jake Sully and his bitch. Once that's done, have him kill himself. A double murder and suicide should not only take care of our traitors, but leave the Na'vi even more disoriented with no leader." James thought for a moment, "I'm pretty sure I can make him kill Jake and his mate. As for himself, I'm not so sure. However, as long as he kills Jake, the Na'vi will probably kill him for us anyway. Is that good enough for you?" Charlie turned on his heel back toward James, "it'll have to do. Make it happen, Doctor."

Charlie pressed a button on his desk, and the door opened and a guard entered the room. The guard started to grab James, and Charlie said, "Stop! This man is one of our people. He's been undercover for the company for many years. I want the other scientists placed in cryostasis now. Get quarters and identification made for Dr. Michaels. I'll open his file in a moment and it'll be ready for you." The guard, with something of a confused look on her face, said, "Yes sir, I'll take care of it. I apologize Dr. Michaels." James just smiled at her, "You wouldn't make a good guard if you hadn't tried to restrain me, now would you?" She just gave him a quant smile and turned and walked out of the room.

James said, "One last thing Charlie, I'll need some more time before I'm ready to carry out the assassination plan. I want to be sure I have complete control over him, when we move to kill Jake." Charlie replied, "No problem, as long as it gets done. I'll leave the details in your hands, Doctor."

Charlie sat back down at his desk and put his glasses back on as he focused on the computer screen. He proceeded to open a deep cover security file that had been tightly guarded for many years by members of the Special Projects Division inside RDA.


	23. Ch22: Thy Flesh Usurped

**Chapter 22 – Thy Flesh Usurped**

About three weeks later…

"Stars. They are beautiful. I always find myself staring up at them just before I fall asleep. Remembering where I came from and how I came to this place, to find my life mate." I turned my head to look next to me. Niysia had just fallen asleep nestled up beside me. Her right arm lay across my chest while her tail gently wrapped around my left leg. I could feel her heart beating with a calm rhythm. I'm sure she could feel mine beating as well. I admired her brilliant blue skin and how her ears would occasionally twitch. We had grown comfortable with one another, secure in each other's embrace.

My attention turned back up to the stars, and I continued my stargazing. I had come from the cold of space to find a special kind of warmth in Niysia that I'd never known before. I was close to Sheila and other women in the past, but my connection to Niysia was so much more. The first time our queues intertwined was unlike any feeling or sensation I'd ever experienced. An almost indescribable emotional bond, a form of intimacy only a queue connection could provide. That was a wonderful night, and in the nights since then we've grown as one.

I wonder sometimes if I deserve her love. It's something I never believed could happen to me, not to a man whose life had revolved around the precepts of science and war. I guess I'd given up on the idea of finding love, until fate placed me on Pandora. Niysia has changed me forever and perhaps some things are best left a mystery. Either way, I'm here and keeping Niysia safe means more to me now than my own life.

I watched a shooting star streak across the sky briefly between the trees. My thoughts switched gear suddenly. It's a shooting star, really? I know it's only a meteorite, but one day it may be more. If the reports were right, these human's aren't going to settle for just one miner. Especially, now that they know we can't hurt them. I still can't explain what happened up there. Why didn't Juno take action to protect the station? And then there was the Endurance's transponder codes…a perfect match. I shook my head several times in frustration. My mind felt as if it wanted to ramble through all the what-if scenarios but after a few moments I managed to refocus my thoughts on the present.

Jake and Wokan both told the same story…the humans were waiting for them. The war party attacked from under the canopy, so no bloody satellites should have seen them and Jake said he saw no ground patrols or spotters in the area. Without eyes in the sky or on the ground, how could they have known? It doesn't make sense. That's the problem…they took us by surprise, and what happened to the real supply ship? If it's still out there, then it should arrive any day now. If they're alive, who will they side with, or will they meet the same fate as my station? Questions, so many questions that I doubt I'll ever see answered. Despite my knowledge, there was nothing more I could do. I looked at Niysia again and softly whispered, "You are my responsibility now, with Eywa's Blessing." I gently kissed her on the forehead, closed my eyes, and went to sleep.

A few days later, in the middle of the night…

Since becoming Na'vi my dreams had begun to mix my human and Na'vi experiences together. It started a week or two after my training began but since then I'd noticed my dreams becoming less about my past and more about Niysia and my new life on Pandora. Some dreams had been stranger than others. The oddest part was sometimes waking up in a cold sweat as if I'd had a nightmare but I could never remember it. I'm not a bloody psychologist but it was probably posttraumatic stress. This wasn't the first time I'd suffered from it and some would tell you it never really goes away. However, this night was different. Tonight my dream was a waking vivid dream unlike any I'd had before, so vivid it seemed real.

I awoke with a strange haze over the sky above me. The stars were missing, only a hazy fog in the trees. Niysia was lying next to me, but I didn't feel her touch or the rhythm of her heart, just an odd numbness stretched over my body. I slipped out of the hammock gently so as not to wake Niysia. As I pulled away, she turned over and her tail unraveled from around my left leg. She appeared to be soundly asleep.

As I looked around, my vision seemed fuzzy. The haze wasn't just in the sky. It seemed close and yet distant at the same time. I noticed my bow and hunting knife hanging on a nearby tree limb. I took my sheathed hunting knife and put it on across my chest like usual. I looked down. My feet felt strangely numb as well. I stumbled as I began to walk down the tree trunk but I quickly steadied myself.

While I walked along the trunk, I thought for a moment how odd it was that I'd stumbled. I had never stumbled there before. What a strange dream this was. It had a surreal quality to it. I slowly wondered around Hometree's trunks past several hammocks, single ones, family ones, so many. I wasn't sure why I cared, but I felt strangely compelled to keep looking at each hammock as I walked. Finally, I came upon Jake and Neytiri's hammock, with little Tarya sleeping right in between them.

As I stood over their hammock and looked down on Jake and his family, the haze felt like it was closing in on me. I couldn't see beyond a few meters as if my vision compelled me to focus solely on Jake. I pulled my hunting knife from its sheath with a slow motion and as the blade withdrew I pressed down on it hard causing it to make a scratching noise. For some reason, I felt it necessary to arm myself but in doing so, I had intentionally made enough noise to wake Jake and Neytiri. Instinctively I glanced down at the blade. As the blade was unsheathed, the cutting edge had made a small slice in my lower chest, I saw blood ooze from the wound but felt nothing but numbness. It dawned on me…something was very wrong with me.

Just as I had thought, the sound had awakened Jake. With a groggy, confused voice he said, "Nathan is that you? Why are standing there?" Jake saw the glimmer of the bloodied knife in the dim light. He quickly elbowed Neytiri and she sprung to life. She could see me standing there. My body trembled, bloodied knife drawn. I'm not sure what Jake said to her, the haze was all around me now. I watched as she and Tarya scrambled out of the hammock on to the opposite side of the trunk into the hazy fog. I suddenly felt a tremendous desire; it was like an instinctual urge to sheath my blade in Jake's heart. The urge was so great; my will was smothered by it. The need was insatiable and it commanded me like someone giving an order. It was unstoppable!

Just as Neytiri and Tarya got clear, I jumped with a fiery hiss into the hammock on top of Jake. My blade just missed his throat and slashed into the hammock's thread. I thought to myself why the hell did I do that? This was a dream, right?

Wait. Maybe it's not.

Jake defended himself, placing his knee in my chest to hold me off as he deflected multiple thrusts from my knife. I hissed again, as Jake struggled with me in the hammock. The hammock began to come apart from the slash I had cut in it. Jake's instincts took over as he hissed back at me and went on the offensive. His own instincts for survival had become paramount. He screamed, "Nathan what the hell are you doing!" Just as he screamed at me, his voice pierced the veil of my dream state. I reached full consciousness. The fog that had engulfed me vanished as if it were ripped away.

As we struggled, I could see now what I was doing, but it wasn't my will. It wasn't my decisions. I realized I had no control and this couldn't be a dream, it seemed too real. While we struggled for control of my knife, I cut Jake on the forearm. We both saw his blood spurt from the wound. His adrenaline must have kicked in because almost instantly he reversed the blade back on me. The blade cut a gash into my chest and across my right shoulder. Our blood mixed as we continued to struggle. I tried to verbalize words but only a growling hiss came out. Finally the hammock gave way and we both fell to the forest floor below. As we fell, Jake caught several limbs helping him to control his fall. I wasn't so lucky, although I tried several times to grab limbs on the way down. My body refused to comply. It was as if I were in a battle for control over my own body.

I landed hard on my belly. The force of impact knocked the wind out of me and dislocated my left shoulder. In shock, my body convulsed with trauma for several seconds. I glanced to my right and saw my blade dug into the ground next to me. Somehow I had managed to hold on to it all the way down. With great effort I managed to release my grip on the knife and pull my hand away from it. I was thankful to be free of it.

The numbness had started to fade away. The pain of my dislocated shoulder and wounds came to the surface in incremental waves of agony. I rolled over to find Jake standing over me. With a muddled scream followed by a painful hiss, I muttered the words, "No…con…no control" shaking my head franticly. Jake's anger turned to confusion as he knelt down over me, his knee firmly placed on my wounded chest to hold me down. Jake said, "I don't understand." Again under great stress I forced out the words, "Kill me now, while you still can" tears swelled up in my eyes. I continued, "I...Am…Not…" my voice trailed off. Without warning, my right hand reached out to grasp my knife that was still stuck in the ground beside me.

Jake quickly pinned my right arm and forced the knife out of my hand. The pain was reaching its climax. My body became practically immobilized as the effects of falling from such a great height in the trees over took my nervous system. Shock was setting in on my consciousness and strangely my thoughts became clearer. Jake looked down at me and grabbed me by the throat. He asked, "Why Nathan?!" He paused a second as he noticed my eyes seemed to focus on him for the first time. In a faint voice I said, "Stop me." I glanced around and saw that Niysia, Neytiri, and several other Na'vi had closed in to aid Jake.

Jake glanced up to see the crowd forming, then back down at me. My face was contorted in severe pain. He growled a long dominant hiss and knocked me out with one glancing blow as his right fist crossed my face. It was more than enough to cause me to lose consciousness when combined with the shock of the fall and additional wounds. Before I lost consciousness, I still wasn't certain if this nightmare was for real, or not.

When I awoke, I found myself restrained, my wounds bandaged. I'm not sure how much time had passed but my guess was a few days based on how I felt and the condition of the bandages. I took a look around at my surroundings and noticed two Na'vi apparently guarding me. I recognized one as Tzmukan; we had bonded like brothers. During my training he was also going through the rite of passage. We had hunted and climbed Iknamaya together. He walked over and looked down at me, recognizing I was awake. He told the other Na'vi in a hateful voice to go tell the Ole'eyktan that the Dream-Walker was awake, as he walked away out of my view.

I wondered to myself. Was it a dream? No, it must have been real. I feel the wounds. I don't understand. What happened? I think I tried to kill my best friend. 'Dream-Walker' he called me. I've not heard that word since before I came to Pandora, but I need to figure it out and I can't do it here. I said to myself, "I have to leave Hometree." Tears swelled up in my eyes as I thought about it. Just then Jake walked up and with an emotionless tone answered, "Yes, you do."

I looked up at him and said, "Jake, I don't have any answers, but I know I can't stay here. Whatever happened to me, it puts you, our people, and Niysia in danger." In a lower, more humble voice, I added, "You have every right to hate me, even kill me, and I'll abide by any decision you make." I turned my head to the side bearing my neck to Jake in an act of submission to his authority as the Omaticaya clan leader. Several Na'vi in the vicinity watched with curiosity while others approached as word spread that I was awake.

Jake knelt down next to me and whispered. "Nathan, I don't know what happened that night, but that wasn't you. I saw it in your eyes. Something wasn't right. If you had wanted my life, you could of taken it many times before that night. No, I won't take your life, but I will honor your request for exile." He stood up, looked around at the crowed of gathered Na'vi, Niysia included. He made a strained hiss, as he crouched over my body and stated, "This Na'vi is exiled, no one is to follow him" pausing a moment as he stared straight at Niysia, and continued "nor hunt him. He no longer walks among The People." Jake gazed back and forth at the crowd to be sure his words were understood. Finally, he stood back up and released my restraints.

Jake said, "Get up Nathan, and leave Hometree now." I rallied my strength and stood up. My eyes found Niysia, but she wouldn't look at me. I walked over to her. With tears in her eyes, she pushed me away, "Go Nathan. Leave us…" her voice trailed off as the tears overwhelmed her. My face took on a stern expression. In a sad yet firm voice, I said to the gathered Na'vi, "If I ever return you must kill me…on sight." Jake, Neytiri, Moat, and several others somberly nodded. Niysia was motionless as tears slipped down her face. I proceeded to leave as I walked passed Niysia and those I had called friend and family, into exile.

I only carried my bow with three arrows along with my hunting knife as I departed on foot. I'm sure Blood Stripe would be nearby wherever I went but I couldn't chance riding him. Not until I understood what happened to me. I mumbled to myself, "Time. I need time to figure this out." As I entered the edge of the forest, I looked up into the sky, and growled a lamented anguished hiss so the forest knew a lonely soul now walked among its tall trees.

Meanwhile beyond Pandora's skies, the ISV Endurance arrived in high orbit.

Its status unknown…


	24. Ch23: Taking in the View

**Chapter 23 – Taking in the View**

Standing on the Dark Miner's bridge, at a large observation window, Dr. James Michaels found Charles Porter, the man in charge of this covert venture. James walked up behind Charles and noticed he was staring out the window at the rainforest. He said, "Charlie, I have some good news and some bad news for you." Charles replied, "Good morning James. It's been nearly three days but I see you're feeling better. Your lab team has been keeping me up to date on your recover."

Charles slowly turned around and continued, "Look out there James, rainforest as far as the eye can see. It's a beautiful view from here, don't you think?" James thought about his words for a second, "If you say so, Charlie. As far as I'm concerned, it's just another bug-infested jungle. Personally, I'd rather go home and forget this cursed place existed." Charles chuckled at the response, "Well I'm glad we have you under contract then. I'd hate for you to skip town without finishing the job." Both men chuckled, but James became serious when he realized the news he was about to convey.

Charles turned back to the window and said, "You were about to tell me something important?" James said, "The immediate threat's been neutralized. However, the plan didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. Nathan's will was stronger than I'd expected. I wasn't able to kill Jake Sully, but I did manage to have Nathan permanently exiled. He has no idea what happened to him and now he's alone in the forest. Which is essentially a death sentence in itself. I checked and according to Dr. Augustine's own journals even the real Na'vi don't live alone in the deep forest. I'm sure it wont' be long before Nathan ends up on some predators dinner menu or something along those lines."

Charles thought for a moment and with a callous tone said, "Well, I guess that's about what I expected, it would of been nice to have gotten rid of both traitors at once. However, I agree that cutting Nathan off from Jake and the other Na'vi at least removes any help he might have given them. It's one less piece on the board, I should say. I suspect now you're going to keep an eye on Nathan and ensure that he meets an untimely demise?"

James replied, "Obviously, my ability to control him hasn't worked out as well as we'd anticipated, but as soon as the opportunity arises, yes. I can see through his eyes anytime, but unfortunately the rainforest doesn't provide many landmarks that we can use to track his movements. To further complicate matters, I can only stay connected to him for short periods. Eventually, he'll make a mistake or I'll recognize a landmark. When that time comes, I'll go personally to deal with him and then I'll kill Jake Sully posing as LeMay."

Charles turned away from the window, "When you go, take a security team and a Man-O-War with you, for backup." James rolled his eyes at the thought of needing mercenaries when he confronted Nathan, but he didn't turn it down. His disgust for Nathan had grown over the months since he'd failed to kill him in space with the rest of his crew. This man, Na'vi, or whatever the hell he was now, was getting in the way of him going home and more importantly, getting paid. Charles watched him roll his eyes and laughed, "Also, don't forget I've already reported that all hands were lost on the science station, so once you remove Nathan, your contract is complete. I'll get you on the first ride home." James smiled at Charles, "I'm looking forward to it, because I'm tired of screwing around with these God forsaken Avatars and Pandora."

With a slightly annoyed look on his face, Charles ignored James's last comment, "Oh yes. Speaking of going home, our people boarded the U.N. supply ship this morning. Now we know why they didn't answer our hails. There was no crew on board, and the bio-hazard alarms were set off." James interrupted him with a confused look on his face, "Bio-hazard?"

Charles paused a second then continued, "That's right. Apparently, there was a bio-contamination of some kind that must have affected the whole ship. One of the bio-lab pods was missing, presumably ejected into space somewhere along the way and we found the emergency crew abort systems had been activated. There were no shuttles and one of the anti-matter engines was gone. The supplies have been tested and appear to be safe but the ship's main computer was completely shutdown, as well as life support. Apparently the backup navigation computer followed its quarantine procedure, which is why the ship went derelict as soon as it reached high orbit. What bothers me was the fact that all of the ship's logs, crew data, and communication records were lost. Our techs can't tell if it was accidental or on purpose."

James said, "What are you thinking Charlie? Could it have been some kind of sabotage maybe? By our people or a third party?"

Charles replied, "I'm not sure. According to my intelligence, the ship was supposed to have a crew of 25 and a company-sized UN Expeditionary Force for the science station and Hell's Gate. However, if they had an accident and abandoned ship then they should be own their way back to the mid-range Kepler station. On the other hand…" his voice trailed off.

James said, "On the other hand what? Where could they be if not here or on their way back to Kepler?" Charles groaned the words, "I don't know and I hate not knowing." There was another pause as if Charles was deep in thought. He continued, "It just bothers me, but until we see something or hear from home, we'll carry on business as usual. At least we have plenty of supplies now and in a few months we'll be able to send our first shipment home, along with you." James grinned.

A full-figured yet exotically attractive middle-aged woman dressed in a more formal uniform similar to those worn by the rest of the bridge crew walked up to Charles and handed him a message. In a distinctly French accent she said, "Sir, this message just arrived from HQ." He took it from her, "Thanks Laura, I've been expecting it. Oh and by the way this is Dr. James Michaels," as he pointed at James. He continued, "James, meet my Executive Officer Laura Fontaine." While Laura and James greeted one another, Charles scanned over the message and then he looked up, "This is good news. It looks like our business is about to expand. Our sister ship, the Fortune Miner is on schedule and the Black Jack will arrive ahead of schedule as well."

James appeared puzzled for a moment, "Black Jack? I've heard that name somewhere, is it another mining ship?" Charles replied, "Not exactly, she's for our protection, just in case someone wants to interfere in our business." James said, "Ah, a mercenary ship. That's where I've heard the name before. It was a famous mutiny that happened back in the early 40s. It was all over the news for months. James chuckled and added, "They'll make one hell of a bouncer for any would-be party crashers, that's for sure." Charles grinned at the comment and smugly replied, "Indeed."

There was a short but awkward silence between the men. Finally, James said, "Well, that's it for me, I'm headed to my quarters to get some rack time, and then I'll get back to following our wondering Na'vi." Both chuckled and Charles replied, "You do that. The sooner you kill that traitorous scum, the better!" James walked off the bridge, arrogantly chuckling to himself. Charles turned his gaze back to the rainforest beyond the thick tinted glass of the Dark Miner.


	25. Ch24: Dancing with Shadows

**Chapter 24 – Dancing with Shadows**

A few days later…

I recalled once asking myself how many times could I rely on luck and cleverness to survive. Apparently the answer is on a daily basis. It had become a part of my daily routine to find myself laid out prone in the dim Pandoran darkness hugging the limb of a tall tree. Thankfully the Na'vi come equipped with natural camouflage. Silently, I watched a pack of viperwolves move along the forest floor beneath me. The bioluminescence of the forest glowed all around me as a warm, humid breeze blew through the trees.

I knew they had caught my scent earlier in the night, but finding me now was another story. As I waited, I thought to myself, I may not have grown up in these forests, but at least I was a good student. Niysia's training has paid off for me dozens of times since I was exiled from Hometree. I don't think anything in this forest was meant to go solo for long. The question is how long can I get away with it.

After a while the pack moved on and as I started to get up, my ears perked up again as I detected a rustling noise coming from the forest. I ducked back down and my eyes focused into the distance as I scanned the forest high and low. There it was. The silhouette of a thanator perched up in a tree about 50 meters away. I don't know how long it'd been there, but I'm sure I was visible the whole time from its vantage point. I hoped that it was hunting the viperwolves. If not, then I'm in trouble.

I pulled my bow around slowly and nocked a poison-tipped arrow into place. I noticed the thanator turned to look straight at me. As he stared at me, his eyes seemed to glow in the Pandoran night. My heart raced. I took aim, and drew back my bow ready to shoot. I thought, it must be a neck shot, because I won't get a second chance. I sat there on my knees, bow pulled back, and target in site. I closed one eye and focused on the thanator. Then I instinctively glanced down one last time at my nocked arrow to ensure nothing was out of place and when my eye looked back up, ready to release, the thanator was gone.

I thought, "Oh hell, it moved!" I dropped my bow to the ready and scanned the forest for movement. I climbed to my feet and ran. I jumped from tree limb to tree limb, not really paying attention to my direction. Finally, I jumped into a cluster of giant leaves, using them to control my fall to the forest floor. I kept running for some time until I was sure I'd gotten clear of the thanator's territory. My heart started to calm down. As I caught my breath, I said to myself, "such is life in the forest when you're loner."

The days passed one by one. I hadn't bothered to even count them. I didn't care…

It was just another day now, like the one before and the one before that. The wounds I received the night I tried to kill Jake were healed, but that didn't mean I was healed. It reminded me of an old saying, "A flesh wound will always heal but its cause may fester for a lifetime." I'd been in exile now for about three or four weeks, or was it five. Hell, I couldn't remember. When every night is a struggle to survive, counting the days wasn't a top priority. However, I regularly found myself rethinking the events of the night I tried to kill my best friend. The night I betrayed my people and the woman I love. Those thoughts visited me daily, hour-by-hour, and they haunted me.

To add to my burden, I was pretty sure the same thanator had been tracking me for days now. I'm not sure why, but my hunter's intuition says he's using me to attract other prey and saving me for later. That's just a theory. Of course I might just be going crazy because from time to time, I feel like I'm being watched. There's never anyone there, at least no one I've ever caught. Then again, it may just be my imagination playing tricks on me. You would think I'd understand that. This wasn't the first time I've had to go it alone and this wasn't my first rainforest, albeit this one was certainly the most dangerous.

As I cautiously walked through the forest, eating a piece of fruit, sunset was approaching. I noticed a light fog moving in as well which reminded me of that night. Once again I replayed the memory in the head. I've gone over it hundreds of times in my head. That one night, and the strange disembodied feelings I experienced; the total lack of control. Nothing made sense. Even if the humans had an Avatar chamber, I don't see how they could have affected me with it. I'm the only one who should be able to control my body, especially since I'm the permanent resident in it. I'm missing something, but I can't figure out what.

I suddenly realized the daylight was almost gone. It was way past time for me to find shelter. Nightfall was almost here, then my ears perked up. I could hear something moving in the forest, coming in my direction. Whatever it was, there was more than one of them. I looked around. My heart started to race as I recognized the sound of viperwolves approaching. It was too late to make it into the trees. I was caught flat-footed.

I had a sinking feeling in my gut, "My luck just ran out." I backed myself up against a large pond, so I could hear anything crossing the water behind me. I pulled out all three of my arrows, stuck two of them point down in the ground in front of me, and nocked the third arrow into my bow. The viperwolves would be upon me any moment now. With a cynical tone in my voice, "Eywa, if you're listening, I could use a little help here tonight." My muscles tensed as I mustered all my stamina to fight for survival.

A few seconds later, I heard the rustling of the ferns. I knew they were close by, I could smell them and I'm sure they could smell me as well. I crouched into a defensible position, ready to quick fire my bow, my tail whipping back and forth behind me. I made a loud growling hiss toward the forest and yelled; "My spirit or yours will see Eywa tonight!"

Two viperwolves jumped from the ferns howling as they flew through the air. I fired at the first and made a direct hit. The arrow hit with such force he was stopped in mid-air and thrown back into the ferns where he'd come from. The second descended upon me as I pulled an arrow from the ground and quick fired it with no aim. It didn't matter; the viperwolf was almost within arms' reach when I cut the arrow loose. It struck the beast in the mid-section and pierced straight through him. The arrow continued out into the night air. The viperwolf fell right in front of me, groaning in agony. I used the end of my bow to break his neck as I scanned for the next wave. I said with a stressed voice, "Forgive me brother!"

It felt like an eternity but only a few seconds passed as I listened to the heckling jeers of the other viperwolves. This time, three of them ran out at once. I reloaded my last arrow and fired in time to strike one of them. It was an instant kill, but I'd run out of time. The other two were practically on top of me and another two came out behind them. My bow was just a bludgeon weapon now to try to keep them at bay. I struck one of them and he was thrown into the pond, he made a whining cry as he flew through the air. The other viperwolf bit my left arm. I dropped my bow, pulled my knife with my right hand, and stabbed the viperwolf in the throat, killing him instantly. His body went limp, his bite grip released, and blood oozed from the wound in my left forearm.

The other two leapt to attack me. I managed to catch one in the throat with my knife using a right-handed jab but the other landed right on top of me. His teeth sank deeply into my left shoulder. I let out a painful hiss as the viporwolf's teeth ripped into my flesh. I repaid him in kind as I opened my mouth with a growling hiss, bearing my jagged teeth. I bit deeply into the viperwolf's flesh taking a chunk out of him. The beast released me and limped away. I spit the chunk of flesh out of my mouth, and dropped the viperwolf still impaled on my knife to the ground. There was viperwolf blood smeared across my face and chest.

Despite my wounds, I climbed back to my feet and crouched in readiness for the next wave. My heart raced as blood oozed out of the wounds on my arm and shoulder. I could hear several more viperwolves closing in on my position. I'm sure the smell of fresh blood drove their enthusiasm to keep up the attack. I suspected this was it; they would come at me all at once for the kill. I mumbled to myself, "You know I'm wounded." I shook my head in frustration and yelled, "Stop playing with your food and finish the bloody job already!" I winced as the pain from my wounds rippled throughout my fatigued body.

While I prepared for what would probably be my last defense, I was pretty sure my luck had run out. All nine lives used up. Nine lives? That's funny, I never thought of that before. I guess I do have feline features. It's strange how humor can show up even at the end. I remained crouched, my knife dripped with viperwolf blood; I growled another long defiant hiss toward the forest full of jeering viperwolves.

Finally they attacked again, this time in greater numbers. Four viperwolves jumped from the darkness directly at me. As they flew through the air, I yelled, "Niysia...!" I lurched forward to meet the viperwolves, but as I started forward, I suddenly felt droplets of water raining down on me. My outcry trailed off as I looked upward to see a dark, lean bestial figure sail over my head with a great guttural roar, the kind only a thanator makes! It tackled three of the viperwolves throwing them back into the darkness. The fourth viperwolf must have been as surprised as I was and landed squarely on top of me. I couldn't bring my knife to bear in time, but I caught one of his front legs with my left hand as I dropped to my back. I used both my feet to kick him off of me. The kick was so hard it must have knocked the wind out of him. He landed in the pond with a wild splash and a yelp.

Adrenaline and instincts were all I had left as I got back on my feet and immediately crouched, scanning the forest for whatever would come next, but it was over. The viperwolf in the pond was swimming for the other side. I looked back into the dark forest again but found no sign of the thanator or any other viperwolves. I heard a low whimper coming from a patch of nearby ferns and I investigated only to find a wounded viperwolf. He was groaning in agony with one of my arrows stuck through his belly. I leaned over and told him, "I'm sorry, my brother. Forgive me." In one fatal stroke, I cut the viperwolf's throat. Killing him instantly. I recovered my arrow, wiped my blade clean, and sheathed it.

This night's dance with death had ended. Despite the intense pain of my wounds the bleeding had nearly stopped, I climbed up the first big tree I came to. Once I was safely aloft in the trees I surveyed the area for any other predators or threats. My anxiety began to ease as my adrenaline rush subsided. I was still alive, but the night was still young and Pandora's tests are endless.


	26. Ch25: Reflections

**Chapter 25 – Reflections**

About two hours later when I felt reasonably sure there were no other predators in the area, I climbed back down out of the tree. The forest had come to life in bioluminescent colors, a sign the danger had passed for now. I went back to the pond to treat my wounds. As I walked, I collected some plant leaves to use for bandages and some sap from a scorpion thistle tree. I'd learned from Niysia that its sap contained medicinal properties I could use on my wounds. Time was never on my side at night and the sooner I got back in the trees the safer I'd be.

I arrived back at the pond; along the way I collected my bow and arrows. The strange thing was I had three arrows at sunset, and now I had five. I scanned the trees, but saw nothing as usual. Whoever it was helped save my life, just as much as the thanator. Since I was in no condition to go looking for my silent benefactor, I decided it best to just graciously accept the two extra arrows as a gift and move on. Perhaps someday I'd get the chance to return them to their rightful owner. I paused second to consider my words and mumbled, "I doubt I'll live that long so maybe I should just leave a thank you note." I grimaced at the notion.

I knelt next to the large pond cautiously, drank some water, and began to clean my wounds. As I worked, I thought the mysterious arrows I could understand, but a thanator just saved my life. Why? As a matter of fact, I think it may have been the same thanator that's been tracking me, but why let me live? Keep the bait alive to draw prey in another day? I don't know. It doesn't make any sense to me. I know they're smart, but just how smart are they, I wondered?

I stopped for a moment; I thought I heard movement in the trees above me. I sniffed the air and listened. No scent or noise, it wasn't the wildlife. Either it was my imagination or my benefactor had returned.

I know there's a Na'vi watching me, but who and why? More importantly, did they see everything as it happened? There's no point in calling them out. It's pointless unless they want to come forward. At least I know for certain that someone's been keeping tabs on me for some time. After what happened tonight, there's no telling what they think of me. They're probably just as confused as I am about the thanator.

I went back to treating my wounds and thinking about the events that brought me out here into the forest. I reached down with my hands to get some water to soak the leaves with and I noticed my moonlight reflection in the pond. I couldn't remember ever seeing my face lit up with a bioluminescent glow, like the forest around me.

It occurred to me that I hadn't seen my own face but maybe once or twice since I transitioned. Both times, like now were in the water. Since the Na'vi had no mirrors they relied on each other for grooming. It had taken me a while to get used to it but I managed. Now it seemed second nature and actually seeing my own face was the novelty. Especially since it wasn't the face I was born with. On the other hand it was the face that Niysia knew me by and loved. For a few moments my thoughts dwelled on her and my former life with the Omaticaya. I mumbled, "I miss you so much…"

Finally, I shook off the emotional despair and forced my attention back to the bioluminescent markings on my face and how they flowed with the contour of my old friend's facial features. It was a reminder that this Avatar body hadn't always been mine. Then my mind started to speculate, the humans must have an Avatar chamber in order to affect me, but why bother? They could simply use their own Avatars or they could have forced their prisoners to use one of the Avatar's left behind, after the attack on the station. What about Norm's people from Hell's Gate? Some of them had Avatars as well. What's so damned special about my Avatar, why try to control this body?

While I applied pressure on my shoulder wound, I glared again into the pond at my reflection. It occurred to me that the only two people with any connection to this body were James, and myself, but James died on the station. A few seconds later I mumbled, "Then why didn't I…" my voice trailed off.

My eyes narrowed, my facial expression developed sharp lines of anger, as the missing piece to the puzzle suddenly fell into place. I realized that I never saw his body or accounted for him on the station. He should have been on the Avatar deck with Taylor and the others. It was his shift. He should have been in his chamber when the attack occurred but he wasn't. If he were alive, it would balance the equation. It would all make sense. Of course it would make sense, damn it! Which means I've been played like a bloody fool! I growled a guttural, deep hiss. With no regard for my wounds, I jumped up. My anger became animated and I shouted in English into the dim Pandoran darkness, "Damn you Michaels! Damn you straight to hell!" My voice echoed throughout the forest and for a few seconds all of the bioluminescence of the plants around me faded. I fell to my knees, humbled by the realization I had been the spy the humans were using to watch the Na'vi. Tears rolled down my cheeks, as the guilt of failure crept into my mind.

The next day…

I didn't sleep much the night before; after all, it had dawned on me that I was being used like some kind of tool or lab rat. I think the word for it was, "Manchurian Candidate." Guilt dominated my thoughts about the day Jake's war party attacked the humans. How much intelligence had they gained from me? More than enough it seemed. The thought of it stung my senses and fueled my desire for retribution. All this time, I followed Jake's example and became Omaticaya, the woman I loved was a Na'vi. I've become more Na'vi than human, even in spirit.

My thoughts paused a moment as I slowly looked around, instinctively listening for danger as I finished the shoulder bandage. It's bloody bizarre; when I became Na'vi I thought God had given me a second chance at life. Now, I've called for Eywa's aid and she answered with a thanator. Signs, portents, and dreams not withstanding, I find myself changed. Yet all the reasons I'm here remain honorable just the same. I think I was wrong. The mission didn't end with my station, it simply adapted to life on Pandora. The dead cry out for justice and it doesn't matter which faith, species, or world I call home. The evil that these men do can't be allowed to go unchecked.

I needed a plan, which didn't involve living the rest of my days alone in the forest. I've denied my human instincts long enough. It's time for some payback, old world style. Before I do that, I need some answers; the kind of answers only human technology can provide. It's about time for the human side of Nathan LeMay to step out of the shadows. I need Hell's Gate.


	27. Ch26: From Prey to Summa Cum Laude

**Chapter 26 – From Prey to Summa Cum Laude**

Three days later…

Finally, I arrived at the perimeter of Hell's Gate. With no way to know when I was being spied upon, I resisted the urge to use Blood Stripe or even talk to myself for that matter. It had been a hard trek with my wounds, but necessary to stay under the forest canopy where everything looked the same. James would know I'm on the move, but as long as I stayed away from any familiar landmarks, there'd be no way for him to guess my direction. For my plan to work, it was crucial he remained in the dark until I was ready for him to know my destination. I uttered my first words in three days, "It's about that time." Through the next thicket of trees, just out of sight was Hell's Gate.

Along the way, I had analyzed every moment I could recall about my time in this body. It occurred to me that the dizzy spells I occasionally suffered when I was exhausted ended a few days before I tried to kill Jake. Back then I thought it was normal considering what I'd been through, but now I'm not so sure. Their gone now, so I have no warnings, which means my only defenses are silence and misdirection.

Another problem I had to confront was whether or not it was possible for him to read my thoughts? After a great deal of speculation I came to the only logical conclusion. No, he couldn't read my mind. I had already came up with a few ideas about how he'd managed to hack into my sensory and motor control but the mind was far more complicated issue. Besides, if he had, then he'd have already found me. Another thought was why hadn't he tried to take control of me again? My best guess, mental or physical stress on the usurper, but that's just a hypothesis. Nonetheless, his skill with Avatar technology must be as good as mine if not better and that gave me more than enough reason to be paranoid.

I looked up in the sky. It was about mid morning and I thought, by tonight I'll be free or I'll be dead. The moment I lay my eyes on Hell's Gate I have to assume my location is compromised. If there's one thing I know about James…he doesn't like to lose. That means he'll come to finish what he started and he probably won't be alone.

Hopefully, I can get one of the fusion generators up and running quickly. If I'm really lucky, the Avatar Labs weren't badly damaged during the attack. What about Juno? She's probably a mess but I only need her lower functions, nothing fancy. I recalled that as a human, this base was the only place on Pandora I ever visited, and then only to install upgrades to the base and Avatar Labs. It seemed so long ago, like it was another lifetime. Enough reminiscing, I've got work to do and the sooner I get to it, the sooner this will be over, one way or another, I'll end it.

I stood upon a large tree limb overlooking Hell's Gate. I mumbled, "The clock starts now." As I surveyed the base, the walls were still intact but the forest's foliage had begun to over grow them. In the distance, the airfield was nearly empty, only a few pieces of maintenance equipment were scattered about and two Samson tiltrotor helicopters lay in wreckage on the tarmac. They were probably casualties of the last battle. Three other helicopters sat toward the rear of the base, clearly moth balled for their parts. I recalled the reports about how most of the base's airpower was destroyed during the 2154 crisis. To bad, I thought.

My attention refocused on the base geography. The command buildings just beyond the tarmac were dark; several man-sized holes had been blown in the walls and several windows shattered. I suspect that was part of their tactics in order to take as many prisoners as possible. That's good for my plans since it increases the likelihood of finding my equipment in one piece. Beyond the command buildings, further in the distance, were looming silhouettes of the refinery and manufacturing buildings. I had no use for them, but they may become a place to fight and hide, if I run out of options.

I proceeded over the walls, cautiously watching for traps or any movement nearby. I hadn't ruled out the possibility that some of the wildlife might have moved in already. As I approached the buildings, I noticed two air defense cannons sat inert on the roof of the primary command building. They were relics from RDA's time on Pandora, and something I could use, if they still worked. The challenge would be whether or not I could get power restored to them. Whatever I was going to try, it would require that I randomize my actions, so any would-be observer would find it difficult to understand what the hell I was up to.

I slowly entered the main command building, waiting a moment at the doorway for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Na'vi eyes were well suited to the dim light of the forest, an advantage I'd used countless times since I became Na'vi. I made my way to the power generator room. As I looked over the generator's damage, I realized it'd take at least a week to repair by myself. I had neither the time, nor the right tools.

I stood there a while looking around. I noticed a door marked "Battery Room." It occurred to me that the base's uninterrupted power system might have enough juice left to do the job. As long as the base was deliberately shutdown then there's a good chance my solution can be found behind that locked door. I proceeded to break the door down using a fire axe I'd found on the wall next to the exit. Once I was in, I noticed a few blinking red lights in the darkness, which was a good sign. I found the battery control panel and switched them on. Suddenly lights came on in the room and the panel lit up, the gauges showed the batteries at 38% strength. I groaned, "It'll have to do." I walked over and found the breaker box that controlled which rooms received power. I switched on the Avatar Lab and since the command center was a mess from the fight, I opted to use the security operations center. It had what I needed and was also on level one with the Avatar Lab.

As I worked, I calculated that I probably had about two days worth of power at best, unless something big happened to drain them. After about an hour of making minor adjustments and repairs to the wiring to ensure there was no bleed off of energy from the batteries, I made my way up to level one. I walked through the corridors, occasionally bumping my head and recalled that the last time I was here, I wasn't so tall. I chuckled at the thought and when I reached the security center, I found the room lit up with power and several consoles active, including the Air Defense Console. I mumbled, "Even mercenaries believe in redundancy," I chuckled but didn't approach it. The console was working. Therefore I'd be able to access it from the lab.

I made my way over to the Avatar Lab while I surveyed the area. Thankfully, it had been spared from the fighting and was in pretty good condition. As I glanced around the room being sure not to linger on any one console for long, I realized everything I should need was here. I thought, "Now I need a diversion that can help muddle my real intentions. I opened a blank file and titled it, 'LeMay-Navi.' Hopefully when they observe my actions they'll jump to all the wrong conclusions and that will be my first advantage. If I play the rest of my cards right they'll have no bloody idea what the hell I'm preparing for them.

The lab's maintenance closet held all the tools I'd hoped to find…right where I had put them months ago when I was resupplying the base. Fortunately, most of the diagnostic equipment was still in good working order. I shut down all of the unnecessary equipment in both the Avatar Lab and security center. I would need every bit of power I could scrounge out of the batteries. I was ready to build my trap for Michaels.

The goal was to multitask and still appear chaotic, which wasn't easy. I worked in silence on several tasks at once, doing my best not to lose track of what I was trying to accomplish. I could only hope my apparent randomness was confusing anyone observing my actions. Despite my efforts, I knew my time was growing shorter by the minute.

I scanned the computer archives for some music, something obscure, and something I felt certain James would not enjoy that I could use for white noise. I stumbled across an old song that I recalled singing every morning when I was a younger man attending jump school in the states, it was called, "Blood on the Risers." I hadn't felt anything, but my gut told me James knew where I was by now. It had been several hours since I'd arrived at Hell's Gate.

I looked up at a scanned halo image of my Na'vi body for the first time. I could clearly see the twin patterns overlaid on my brain scan. The theory had just become a fact because that must be James. Now I'm certain. The son of a bitch has been using me to spy on the Na'vi. He even tried to make me kill my best friend. With a cunning grin on my face, I thought this bastard has got to die.

In keeping with my randomness, I walked by several consoles. Some were running diagnostics, another running a music program; finally I came to the console I wanted. I walked up to the console and pulled up the defense station weapons status. I quickly started a diagnostic of the two air defense cannons on the roof of the command building. Then I went back to work writing my personal logs while it ran, only glancing at it occasionally from across the room. I was also nearly finished with a countermeasure to James's ability to spy on me. Then it occurred to me that the supply ship should be in orbit by now.

I walked over to yet another halo screen console. After a few keystrokes the base communications system appeared on the screen. I instructed one of the Hell's Gate satellite dishes to realign to a new azimuth. A few seconds later the screen read, "Transmitter Ready." I inserted my access code, and after a couple of moments a network of satellites appeared on the screen. They were Augustine Station's former communications satellites. After several attempts I managed to establish an uplink with Alpha. I wasn't surprised since it had always been the least glitchy of the bunch. I closed my eyes and sighed as I relived the memory of the breath taking sunrises I used to watch from orbit. It turned out to be one of the last peaceful memories of my human life.

There was a ping and my eyes opened. A message had popped up on the screen. It read, "Link Established." I was somewhat impressed that it was still operational. I reviewed the details and my worst fears were confirmed. The supply ship, I.S.V. Endurance appeared to be under the control of the humans from the space miner. Apparently, they were so sure of themselves they didn't even bother to encrypt their communications or transponder signals. Damned nice of them, but again they had no idea I was here listening to them. The only question was…what about the expeditionary force? Since I hadn't heard any fireworks, my guess was they'd joined the miners. Otherwise we would have seen them by now.

Meanwhile, in the Avatar Lab on board the Dark Miner…

Two individuals in white lab coats stood over an Avatar chamber that was making a rhythmic humming sound. They were monitoring the occupant of the machine closely. After a few moments, one of them said, "it's time to get him out. I've told him a dozen times not to exceed 10 minutes, but he just doesn't listen." Just as he finished his sentence, the machine hum seized and the chamber hatch opened up. It was Dr. James Michaels.

He asked, "What was that Mr. Kim about time?" The technician stuttered a reply, "Sorry Dr. Michaels, I was just concerned about you." James replied in a cynical tone, "Well, isn't that sweet of you to care. Looks like the bastard finally made his mistake. Nathan has gone back to Hell's Gate for something; it was hard to tell what he was doing. He kept moving from one console to the next, but I did figure out he's preparing a message of some sort. I believe it was a journal about his experiences as a Na'vi. Wow, I'm sure it'll be a bestseller one day." All three men chuckled at James's obvious attempt at humor.

James' walked over to the intercom, switched it on and said, "Tell Mr. Porter I found the traitor and I'm going to kill him today." The disembodied voice in the intercom replied, "Yes Dr. Michaels, I'll pass him the message right now." James turned around to Mr. Kim and said, "Contact the shuttle bay and let them know I'll be down with my Avatar in about an hour. I'll need a Man-O-War Avatar and small security team ready to go. I have something to take care of and then I'm getting the hell off this God-forsaken rock.

Kim nodded and sat down at a halo console to follow James' orders. As James walked out of the room, Mr. Kim overheard him humming a song. As he opened the comms channel to the shuttle bay, he thought the tune reminded him of an old paratrooper song he'd heard back when he was in the military. Kim mumbled, "Damn, I can't remember the name of it." Just then, a face appeared on the halo screen that said, "Shuttle Bay. This is Collins, what can I do for you, Mr. Kim?" He thought it strange that Dr. Michaels would know that song since he'd made his dislike of the military clear in the past. Still, Kim had too much work that needed to get done, to bother asking about it. Kim's attention refocused on Collins.


	28. Ch27: Seeing is Believing

**Chapter 27 – Seeing is Believing**

As I finished the last touches on the countermeasure program, my ears perked up. I could have sworn I heard movement. I glanced over at the defense console, no perimeter alarms had been tripped and the weapons diagnostic was 94% complete. I didn't hear it a second time and I thought hopefully it was just my imagination or the wind. After all, if it were Michaels I doubt he'd bother sneaking up on me.

After some final adjustments, I hoped the countermeasure program would work. I activated the program. A rough machine-toned computer voice said, _"Program running, full broadcast via all Avatar channels enabled."_ As I switched the halo scanner on to begin a second scan of my body, I thought about the atrocious computer voice. It wasn't Juno, but it worked just the same. I stood still a moment as I watched the diagnostic system run several bright red and green lights over my body, it was scanning for changes from my earlier test scan.

Once the scan was complete, I returned to finish my work on the comms satellite. Just as I finished a computer voice came from the defense console, _"Diagnostic complete."_ I glanced over and cannon #1 showed inoperable, however cannon #2's status was green. With a devious grin on my face I thought to myself, time to set the trap.

I instructed the computer to replay the song I had chosen earlier. As it played, I activated a defense program for cannon #2, set it to complete the program with a voice phrase command, and to confirm its action with a completed phrase reply. As the song played, I synched my voice with the song. I sang along, pressing the voice record buttons accordingly while I looked off toward my 3-D full body scan still rotating up on the Avatar diagnostic console; doing my best to cover my real intentions. Once it was complete, I paused for a moment in thought, planning in my mind how I hoped this confrontation would play out.

I thought that with a little luck, I'd destroy that bastard the moment he touched down on the tarmac. He won't see it coming since the cannon has some natural camouflage, thanks to Pandora and it won't be powered-up until the moment it's needed. I paused for a few seconds to stare at my body scan results. Now it's clean, so the "I Spy" games are over.

The computer voice broke my train of thought, _"Navigation adjustment ready to execute. Please confirm your order." _ I walked over to the console and mumbled, "This should really piss them off, Eywa, and it'll hopefully buy us all some time." I pressed the execute button for the comms satellite to fire its navigational thrusters placing it on a collision course with the supply ship. Again my ears perked up and I swiftly turned around toward the doorway to see Niysia standing just inside the room with her bow drawn and an arrow nocked. The arrow was aimed down at the floor. My eyes widened with surprise and happiness at seeing her face. The computer voice from behind me said, _"Impact in 14 minutes, 33 seconds."_ I began to walk toward Niysia as I said, "Computer discontinue verbal time stamps." The computer replied, _"Understood. Verbal time stamp notifications are disabled."_

Over the jungle canopy of Pandora, aboard a heavy lift shuttle en route to Hell's Gate, James received a message…

James looked into the screen and said, "Go ahead Dark Miner, what's happening." Mr. Kim's face appeared with a panic stricken expression on the screen with smoke in the background, "Sir, the modified chamber just self-destructed on us! We were running a routine diagnostic and suddenly all of the fail-safe protocols shutdown at once and the unit wouldn't power down. I'm sorry sir. It's a total loss. I have a team trying to figure out what caused it." James said, "I'm in chamber number 4 on the other side of room. Are there any dangers of a power spike to my chamber? Kim replied, "No sir, we've checked your power systems already and they've not been affected by the other chamber's malfunction.

James thought for a moment, "Fine, I'll remain in my Avatar. Let me know if anything else decides to spontaneously combust." He turned off the screen and thought about how he wasn't surprised it finally wore out considering all the cross wiring it took to make it override Nathan's consciousness in the first place. James sat in deep thought staring out into the distance on his way to Hell's Gate. He was ready to get this job over with so he could go home. It dominated his thoughts. The pilot interrupted him, "sir, were almost there. Time to get ready." He nodded affirmatively.

Back at Hell's Gate…

As I approached Niysia, all I could do was stare at her. I thought she was as beautiful as the first day I met her. Niysia looked around the room, her eyes moved from console to console, her facial expression growing more and more angry. With a hint of sadness in her tone she angrily stated, "Nathan, I believed in you, I allowed myself to trust you, but now I see you have betrayed my people. You are still with the Sky People," as her attention turned to the holographic image of a male Na'vi floating in the air over a large console. Just as sudden her gaze turned back to me, "I will avenge my people!"

I stopped in my tracks. My facial expression became a mixture of surprise and shock. My body tensed up as it dawned on me that she believed I was a traitor to the Omaticaya. Her stance became hostile as she raised her bow and aimed it at me, ready to release a poison tipped arrow. I frantically said, "Niysia, if you give me a chance, I can explain all of this," my arms spread out to point to the consoles. In response, she released the arrow in my direction. I ducked as it soared through the air, directly through the 3-D hologram of my body over the Avatar diagnostic console. The arrow impacted into a halo screen on the other side of the lab. I slowly stood up. I noticed she used her only arrow. I realized she didn't miss; her target was the 3-D image.

Just then I heard a beep from the defense console. It was the proximity alert. I glanced over to it and I said, "Oh shit, they're here!"

I turned back to try to reason with Niysia, but she had crouched down, her tail whipping behind her. She made a growling hiss at me and then she lunged through the air in my direction. I crouched down to guard myself as she came down almost on top of me. I caught only a glancing blow from her bow as she swung and hit me on her descent. It struck across my right arm, the bow partially impacted on the right side of my head. I was thrown to the ground and landed on my wounded shoulder. I was dazed for a moment as I winced in pain and rolled over onto my back.

As I laid on my back looking up at Niysia, I realized I was still very weak from my encounter with the viperwolves. I was no match for her, but that didn't matter because I refused to do anything but simply defend against her blows, if I could. Niysia stood over me. She placed her bow on her back and pulled her knife.

I shouted, "Niysia, I'm not your enemy!" She dropped her right knee into my bandaged shoulder. Her right leg stretched across my chest directly on top of my sheathed knife. Not only could I not pull the blade, she forced it into my chest and effectively pinned me to the ground. It was difficult to breathe.

Niysia hissed in my face. I instinctively returned her hiss with a faint strained hiss of my own, and muttered, "Stop Niysia. You don't want to do this…" my voice trailed off, as she pushed down on my chest harder, her knee deeper into the shoulder wound. I groaned in pain, as I refused to raise anything more than a simple defense against her. Finally, she put her blade down against my throat and said, "Why won't you fight! Your masters will be displeased with you." Her blade began to cut into the skin on my throat.

I said with a strained tone between gasps for air, "I won't fight you. I see you, whether you believe me or not. I will always see you. Now kill me if you must, but I will not raise a hand against you, I can't," tears began to roll down my face, as the words came out.

Niysia held me down in place. She stared into my eyes. I returned her gaze, and said in a faint voice, "I'm not the enemy, but I know who is." After a few moments, she made a frustrated growl and pulled her blade back away from my throat, but kept it poised over me, ready to cut my throat in an instant. Before she could bring herself to ask any questions.

A strange noise came from the outer wall of the lab. We both paused for a second to listen as our ears perked up. We both looked toward the direction of the sound. Ten strange cylindrical objects that looked like huge fingers came through the building's exterior wall. With no warning, sparks shot out with the sound of breaking metal as an entire section of the wall was torn out along with half an Avatar chamber and tossed aside.

With the wall removed, parts of the ceiling and ductwork collapsed into the lab and several large pieces of debris swung down and hit Niysia in the back. She yelped a painful scream as the impact threw her off of me, almost to the far side of the lab. I turned my head toward the direction I thought Niysia was thrown only to see her knife embedded in the floor mat right next to my head. I pulled my head back a little as I mumbled, "Damn, that was close."

Dust and debris landed everywhere. It exposed a large, two-legged figure of a robot standing in the opening. The robot's metal armor glimmered in the outside daylight. As the dust settled, I sat up rubbing my left shoulder. Despite the intruder, I scanned the lab for Niysia. I could see her partially buried in some debris, with small cuts across her legs. I saw her tail twitch a few times, but I couldn't tell how badly she was hurt or if she was conscious. My singular concern was for her safety. I instinctively fought to get to her as I tossed debris to either side of me without concern for the lab, or the menace that watched my every move.

Then I heard it. A scornful voice in English that said, "Well…well, the prodigal son returns to his roots!"


	29. Ch28: Blood on the Risers

**Chapter 28 – Blood on the Risers**

The voice sounded familiar. It was familiar because it was my own voice. The dust in the air continued to settle. I could make out the details of a tall humanoid-shaped robot. I stammered out the words, "It's a…It's a bloody Man-O-War combat droid." It knelt down on one knee and pointed a GAU 90 30-millimeter cannon, the same kind of weapon used with commercial model AMP suits, directly at me. I thought it looked like a Mark 1A design. If so, then its predictive targeting system eliminated any hope for me in a straight out fight. I have to get in behind it somehow. Otherwise I'm dead Na'vi.

A Na'vi with a bow and arrows in his hand walked through the opening and stood in front of the Man-O-War. He looked exactly like me, painted in Omaticaya colors, and even dressed similar to me. I wanted to look after Niysia, but I realized I would have to deal with them first. Just as I was about to turn my attention to the intruders, I saw Niysia move ever so slightly, her tail twitched again. I could only hope that was a good sign.

I turned all of my attention back in the direction of the intruders and said, "Let me guess, Dr. James Michaels and his glitter-boy sidekick." James replied, "Nathan, I've missed your curious sense of humor. Have you forgotten how to speak English? After all you've done, this is what it comes down to? You and I fighting it out in these dirty skin-jobs you call Na'vi." I crouched and hissed at James as I said in English, "English is for humans, but I'll be nice and play along, so glitter-stupid there can keep up with the score." The robot lifted its weapon to better aim, but James said, "Stand down soldier." The Man-O-War eased the weapon back down to the ready. I continued, "By the way, if I hadn't of been having a domestic argument when you arrived, this dirty Na'vi would have already killed you."

James laughed and said, "I guess that rules out any notion of talking sense into you. It's sad to see such a great man, such a great mind be wasted. You know something, their naming schools after you back home; you're a fucking Hero on Earth. Thanks to your clever message. However, I see you've chosen your side and as far as I'm concerned, you don't deserve my pity or mercy. Those qualities I reserve for fellow human beings and that's not you. To me, you're just a pathetic flea-bitten Na'vi with delusions of grandeur."

I quickly glanced behind me at the Avatar console running my countermeasure program. Despite some debris strewn over the console, it appeared to still be functioning. I looked back at James, my eyes narrowed and my facial expression transitioned from an appearance of disdain to determined defiance, "I suppose you've come to finish what you started on the station. You do recall what happened to the station, don't you? All of those innocent people you murdered; and for what? A damn rock or was it just paper money?"

James had an indignant look on his face, "At least when I get home, I'll be rich. You'll be dead on this damned moon, the same as your mother. Grace always wanted to protect these worthless tree huggers for some ungodly reason. Of course in your case you took traitor to your species to a whole new level. Somehow you've actually become one of them," as he glanced over at Niysia's body covered in debris and continued, "You even took one of them for a mate, didn't you? Is that why you turned your back on humanity? Just like that stupid kid, Jake Sully. I can almost understand him, but a man your age, with your experience? It's disgusting if you ask me. A man with two PhD's from M.I.T. and decorated officer that let himself be turned into some kind of Neolithic tree hugger with a tail. It's a perversion of the human spirit. I can't let this stand. You need to die and then I'm going to kill Sully posing as you!"

As I listened to James' rant, I glanced over at Niysia twice during that time. The last time I looked, she wasn't there.

Finally I said, "enough psycho-babble already. I know what I am, what you are, and I'm pretty sure that's a Man-O-War Mark 1A behind you. It can be a little buggy and it doesn't have 360 degree omnivision, but not a bad Avatar robot over all." James paused a moment, then raised his bow with an arrow ready to fire, "I agree, there's nothing more to say." As I watched his arrow's angle I said, "Well, maybe one more thing to say."

James released the arrow. It shot across the room directly toward me. I pulled my right shoulder to the side just barely getting out of the arrow's flight path. It probably missed me by two or three centimeters. The arrow flew across the room and struck an Avatar chamber. Sparks arched from the chamber on impact; the arrow firmly embedded in the side of the chamber. After the impact, I glanced back to see the damage. Thankfully, nothing key to my plans was hit.

I turned back to James and put myself in a defensive stance ready to dodge again if needed. I stared at him with fiery in my eyes, "All I have left to say to you is "Gory, Gory." James's face appeared surprised as he mumbled, "What did you say?"

About two seconds later a computer voice spoke, _"Voice authentication accepted. Resuming program." _ I raised my hands in the air, and walked back over to where I'd been working when Niysia found me, her knife embedded in the floor at my feet. James said, "Don't be foolish…" he was interrupted by a rumbling noise coming from the roof. I replied, "It's way too late for threats, old friend."

I casually reached over and spun a halo screen around so James and the Man-O-War could see it. I grinned at them. It was a surveillance camera view of the shuttle outside on the tarmac. A man at the foot of the gangplank appeared to have a surprised look on his face as he dropped whatever beverage he'd been drinking and retreated into the shuttle.

A moment later a loud thundering noise came from the direction of the roof. James could see on the screen tracer rounds flying into the shuttle as it tried to swivel its top gun turret around. It wasn't quick enough. The shuttle was virtually ripped apart by the air defense cannon's powerful explosive rounds. After a few seconds of continued pummeling the shuttle exploded into a huge fireball on the tarmac. A computer voice said, _"Program completed. 'Gory, Gory, what a helluva way to die.'" _

What was left of the shuttle lay in wreckage on the tarmac ablaze in fire, with the occasional burst of ammunition, ignited by the heat. It was hard to imagine anyone could have survived the explosion, but without warning a man emerged from the wreckage. He was engulfed in fire, frantically patting himself, as he ran back and forth. Finally, he fell to the tarmac, his body consumed by the flames.

James just stood there stunned at what he saw. Astonished by the cunning ruthlessness of Nathan's tactics. With a sense of loss he muttered, "My security team?" He had allowed his prejudice and assumption of superiority over the Na'vi to blind him to the fact that Nathan may be in blue skin, but he still had the mind of a combat decorated SAS officer. He understood now what Nathan had meant earlier. If not for whatever altercation had occurred with the other Na'vi that distracted him, his plan would of worked flawlessly.

The Man-O-War leaned over and backed out of the building just outside so he could see the wreckage more clearly. It immediately took aim and destroyed both of the air defense cannons with its GAU 90 30-milimeter cannon.

The shocked look on James's face and the actions of the Man-O-War presented me with an opportunity to attack, and I took advantage of it.


	30. Ch29: Fail Safe

**Chapter 29 – Fail Safe**

I crouched down and picked up Niysia's knife in my left hand and drew my own knife with my right. I hissed at James, my tail whipping back and forth in anger, my body tensed and ready to attack. He could see the vengeance in my eyes and frantically tried to ready another arrow. He yelled to the Man-O-War "get the hell back in here!"

I lunged forward, running as fast as I could to close the distance before he could fire. As he released the arrow, I leaped into the air, up and over a console. The arrow passed just underneath me as I came down about a meter in front of James. With all the agility and strength of a Na'vi, armed with human knowledge about the powerful robot, I aimed and threw my knife at the Man-O-War. The blade sailed through the air. James instinctively ducked and watched the blade sail past him. We both observed the Man-O-War, its back still turned toward us, as it lowered its weapon after finishing off the air defense cannons up on the roof. The knife struck a vulnerable spot on the back of the Man-O-War. I could only hope they hadn't thought to patch the vulnerability in the Mark 1A's armor, because there were no other vulnerabilities that I could recall in this model.

My knife impacted and penetrated the thin armor over a small but vital fiber optic motor control junction circuit on the back of the Man-O-War's neck. It was hard to see, and hit, unless you knew right where it was located, and I did. My blade severed the fiber optic wires, the equivalent of cutting a person's spinal column at the neck. Fatal.

I had landed hard, almost falling flat on my face in front of James, but I managed to regain my balance. I glanced back at my tail with a grin as I passed Niysia's knife over to my right hand. I mumbled, "We have a verdict. Tails are a good thing when you're almost three meters tall.

Once I'd steadied myself, I instinctively crouched into a defensive stance in front of James. I was ready to fight as the Man-O-War wavered back and forth just outside, its arms flailing about as it yanked the knife from its neck. Sparks shot out from the gash as it ripped the knife loose, causing even more damage. The Avatar driver had lost control of the robot. The massive machine stumbled about for a moment then fell to its knees. Fired several rounds wildly into the air and tarmac before it finally dropped the huge GAU 90 cannon to the ground and fell face first onto the tarmac. The machine showed no signs of life.

I said with a cynical smile on my face, "I bet you're wondering how I knew about that little spot on the back of its neck? Well you know a lot about me, but I guess the military can still keep a few secrets. As I'm sure you're aware, those PhDs you mentioned aren't in the liberal arts. I was a robotics engineer on the Man-O-War Avatar Project, before I came to Pandora. Now you know the real reason my father and I didn't see eye to eye."

James, with rage in his face, dropped his bow and pulled his knife, he said; "We finally hear the truth about what happened between you and your father. He found out that you were helping the military develop weapon systems based on Avatar technology. As I recall both of your parents were on record as anti-war activists. Again, your parents must have been proud." I hissed at him, "Those are the last words about either of my parents you get to have, you sorry corrupt bastard!"

I jumped toward him with full force, he did the same toward me, and we met with the sound a hardened flesh slamming together, each of us deflecting the other's knife thrusts. We landed on the ground and rolled over each other several times, struggling for domination over the other. Finally, James got the upper hand in the struggle. He stood up, pulling me to my feet as well. I refused to let go of his knife hand as I got up. We stood there in a constant struggle of strength and stamina, arm to arm, holding each other's blade at bay, occasionally cutting into each other's arm with the tips of our knifes, our blood mixed as drops fell to the floor.

The struggle had become a total contest of brute strength. It was a contest I knew I couldn't win, but saw no exit strategy. Finally, he managed to maneuver his left hand against my arm into a position where he could just get his fingers close enough to press into my wounded left shoulder. I cringed in pain. He used my distracted state to knock my knife lose from my right hand. It fell to the ground and James kicked it away into the debris.

I was barely holding him off at this point. I was far weaker than James because of my previous wounds and lack of proper rest from my nightly struggle to survive. Even a Na'vi can only take so much punishment before the body begins to give in to the physical stresses it has sustained. James used his strength advantage and forced me back to the ground. I landed hard on my back, James on top of me, with his right knee in my chest. I kept my grip on his right arm holding his blade off for the moment.

I struggled on hoping he would make a mistake, his knife hovered just a matter of centimeters from my neck. In a strained voice, I said to him, "If I die, my spirit returns to Eywa, and the same goes for you!" James kept his grip tight, but looked me in the eyes, "What the hell does that mean?" I replied, "Once I knew what you were doing to me, I came back to this lab to stop you. It wasn't difficult to jury-rig a countermeasure to overload your little mutant chamber, but I never thought you'd come here in an Avatar body. It's simple really. All of the fail-safes have to be jammed in order to overload a chamber. I was targeting only my signal frequency for the overload but the protocols used to disable the fail-safes weren't that specific." An evil grin crossed my face, "In a nutshell, any Avatar within range of the broadcast has no safety net. Without those fail-safes if you die here, you'll be brain dead there!"

The realization that he could actually die right now caused James to pause. It gave me just enough time to push his knife further away from my neck, but he was still on top and had the strength advantage. I was getting weaker and could feel it. James said, "If what you say is true, then it's time I finished this and sent you to meet your precious Eywa. Give her my regards!" His body bowed up so he could place full strength down on my neck with his knife. I could only struggle and watch as the knife pressed harder against my neck, slightly cutting into my flesh. I hissed at him and kept trying to break free from his grip, but his Avatar was essentially brand new and I was nowhere near a hundred percent when this day started.

It was hard to breath and I was on the verge of exhaustion…


	31. Ch30: Connections

**Chapter 30 – Connections**

My vision had started to blur from a lack of oxygen. It was only a matter of time now. From my peripheral vision, I saw a blue streak strike James across his forehead that threw him off me. He landed a couple of meters away up against an empty Avatar chamber on his side. He quickly stumbled back to his feet. After I watched James stand back up, I looked straight up to see Niysia crouched down in a defensive posture, directly over me. She growled a long hiss as she readied her bow. She aimed straight at James. With no cover nearby or chance of escape he threw his knife at Niysia, just as she released the arrow.

Her arrow hit James in the side of his neck while his knife struck Niysia. It was firmly embedded in her right shoulder; both fell to the ground wounded. After a few seconds, I realized what had happened and slowly stood up. Niysia was holding the knife in her shoulder as she slowly withdrew it. Her breathing was distressed and she was in severe pain. She stammered, "I'll be ok, make sure the Dream-Walker is dead!"

I was at the point of exhaustion. I went from console to console using them for support as I staggered over to James. His body was twitching randomly, but he'd managed to pull out the arrow and had tossed it aside. He lay on the floor holding his neck as blood flowed between his fingers. He looked up at me, fear in his eyes, and said in a low, strained voice, "I'm still here like you said. I have to admit, you're probably one of the smartest men I've ever known, I mean Na'vi…"his voice trailed off. I wondered if that was a compliment or just an admission of his failure.

I glanced back at Niysia. She was resting on her back holding her wounded shoulder. Her attention was elsewhere for the time being. I reached behind me and grabbed my queue and pulled it around to look at it. I thought about one of Grace's original theories about the Na'vi anatomy, that the queue might be able to exchange memories between two Na'vi. Of course I know now it's more like emotions and feelings, but during my most intimate moments with Niysia those feelings left me with new memories of my own making. I looked down at James, our Avatars were genetic twins, and he was dying. If there were a stronger emotion than intimacy, I would think it'd be fear, especially of death. It's risky, but we need answers that only an insider would know. I mumbled, "Risks be damned, I need answers." I hoped I was strong enough to withstand the shock.

I reached down and picked up James' queue and with my back facing Niysia so she couldn't observe what I was doing, I allowed our queues to connect. The pain reverberated through my body. I hissed and groaned, my back contorted with pain, I instinctively reached for my neck, in the same place where James was wounded with the arrow.

James's eyes widened as he looked up at me, as if he wanted to speak but nothing came out. I tried to focus my concentration on his memories of the space miner. I absorbed wave after wave of pain and the fear he was experiencing in his final moments. His facial expression changed from one of fear to a more content expression as he benefited from my stamina. Then my mind became flooded with emotions as well as memories, so many I couldn't separate them. It became so disorienting I finally had to disconnect our queues.

As I disconnected, one of his last memories overtook my senses. I screamed aloud at the sensation. In my minds' eye, I stood on the branch of a large tree over looking Hell's Gate, while I witnessed a huge mushroom cloud rise up into the sky over it. Wind, heat, and waves of pain came at me all simultaneously and then my eyes opened, I was back in the lab. I knew it was Hell's Gate, so it wasn't the past. After a few seconds I groaned, "Dear God, don't let this happen." I realized it was more than a mere memory. It was something else, maybe something James wanted me to see. Either way, it told me the humans possess weapons of mass destruction and they weren't afraid to use them. I wasn't surprised.

I blinked my eyes a few times, not sure where I was at first. As I looked down, James's eyes widened and he muttered, "Why?" as his last breath exhaled. His eyes went blank and his body became lifeless. I closed his eyes and placed my right hand over his chest. I spoke with a somber tone, "You were a good friend once upon a time. Despite what else you were in life, I'd endeavor to remember the good times, old friend. Rest in peace." I paused a moment and wondered about his last question. Had he seen my memories as well? I was too exhausted to speculate so my eyes fell back down to stare at James's lifeless body. I felt no satisfaction at the kill, despite his atrocities. Maybe it's because my soul had become more Na'vi than human or was it my guilt at the sins caused by my own hubris. Perhaps it was a little of both, but nonetheless it wouldn't relief me of my sworn responsibility.

I slowly stumbled to my feet, still disoriented by the emotional overload and painful experience of the connection. I walked over to where Niysia was laying and dropped to my knees beside her. I suspect she saw at least some of what I'd just done, but it didn't seem to faze her. She said, "I see you Nathan. Please forgive me for not trusting you sooner." I smiled at her, as I tended her wounds, "I see you as well. I wont ever be far from you again."

I worked quickly to stop her bleeding and bandage her shoulder. Just as I finished a computer voice said, _"Warning battery power at 1%."_ I said to Niysia, "I suppose you overhead what was said?" She replied, "Yes, I heard all of it. Why didn't you tell me Dr. Augustine was your mother?" I looked her in the eyes, "it was to painful to talk about."

I paused a moment, took a deep breath and continued, "I came to Pandora seeking her forgiveness and maybe some redemption in her eyes. When I arrived to discover she was dead, it nearly killed me. It's been a loss I still feel, but thanks to an old friend's advice, I resolved for myself to carry on and protect her work. Too protect Pandora. As for the human technology, I know a great deal about it but when I fell in love with you and became Omaticaya, I put technology behind me. At least that was my intention before my exile. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this before now." She smiled. Our foreheads came together, and we kissed tenderly for several moments.

We were interrupted by the computer, _"Power failure eminent…"_ its voice trailed off as the power on all the consoles started to fail. The room lights flickered and went out, the last console to shutdown was the Avatar console. I watched as the image of my body faded into thin air. We both just stared at each other a few seconds, and I said, "it's hard to explain my life but I used to be both a warrior and scientist. My work helped to advance technologies like the Avatars and dreadful machines of war like that robot." I pointed at the Man-O-War lying on the ground outside.

I continued, "Before I became Na'vi…" Niysia placed her hand over my lips to stop me, she said, "It's alright. I see you, because we both walk under Eywa's branches and that's enough for me to understand." I smiled, "All right, let's go home. Oh and by the way, a few days ago in the forest, that was you, right?" She replied, "Yes, I saw the fight with the viperwolves and the thanator." I just stared into her eyes few seconds, "Can we keep the thanator part just between us?" She smiled, "To everyone Eywa's Gifts are unique and personal."

I thought for a second, "I think that was a yes. Just out of curiosity, why didn't you let me know you were out there?" She replied, "Moat and Neytiri allowed me to secretly follow you, but forbade me from interfering with whatever Eywa's Plan was for you. It wasn't easy to keep my word." I replied, "I know. Since I started my exile with only three arrows and now I have five." Niysia just grinned at me. No explanation was necessary. I said, "I think that detail can be left out of our story when we get home." We both laughed, wincing at the pain it caused.

I looked her in the eyes for a moment, "I suspect it was an agreement they never expected you to uphold. Tshahik is wise, and I believe she knew what you'd do when you found me. It appears that saving my life has become a habit for you." There was short pause as we just glared into each other's eyes. We slowly kissed again then we both laughed and groaned again at the pain caused by our laughter.

Slowly we stood up. I looked around as the last glimmers of light faded from the console panels. Finally the room was dark. We walked out of the building and Niysia made a birdlike whistle. A moment later her Ikran landed in front of us. It had been nearby in the trees waiting for Niysia's call.

I paused a moment and looked back at the command building where I'd fought my old friend Dr. James Michaels. I said, "Give me a few minutes. I need to take care of something." Niysia nodded. I walked back into the building. A few minutes later, as Niysia sat on her Ikran keeping her calm, she noticed a strange gray smoke coming from the opening in the building.

A moment later, I emerged from the building; I had tears in my eyes, but no sorrow in my facial expression. I had a small container in my hand and as I walked past the robot, I paused, opened a small plate in its back, and poured a liquid substance into it. Niysia noticed a foul odor in the air as a peculiar smoke rose from the robot. I left the container next to the robot, and casually strolled up to Niysia sitting atop her Ikran. I said, "I can't allow the humans to have his body. Despite his actions in life, he died as a Na'vi and the robot is no longer a threat to us either." I smiled and made my own birdlike whistle. A few seconds later I heard a howling hiss from the trees as Blood Stripe swept down and landed in front of me. Niysia commented, "Are you ready?" I mounted Blood Stripe and replied, "Very much so, let's go home." Niysia smiled back at me, as we both took off in unison.

We flew in formation as we rose into the air on the powerful wings of our Ikran. With each upward swoop, we gained altitude and left Hell's Gate behind. We were two lifemates reunited in love. Ready to return to the rainforest and Hometree. As I glanced back one last time, I hoped I wouldn't have to ever return to this place again.

A few minutes later, in orbit high above Pandora one of Augustine Station's former communications satellites collided with the captured U.N. supply ship.


	32. Ch31: Niysia

**Chapter 31 – Niysia**

A few nights after our return to Hometree, I thought it must be October or maybe early November. Dates have little meaning when your time is kept by the seasons, but for vigilance's sake I tried not to lose track.

Niysia and I lay quietly for the first time together, alone in our hammock. I had dreamed of this night for so long and now that it was here, my body was too weak to show the intimate care to Niysia I wanted to give her. I think a similar notion had occurred to her as well; just by the way she gazed into my eyes. She laid on her side; her bandaged right shoulder rested on my chest, her head nestled up next to mine, and tail gently wrapped around my right leg. I thought of this as one of those perfect moments, the kind you try to burn into your memory, as I laid on my back once again taking in the stars, with the woman I love.

The two previous nights had been filled with a combination of music, stories, and medicinal rituals for both of us. Jake, Neytiri, and the others were enamored by the incredible story of the fight Niysia and I had survived at Hell's Gate and my prior exile. Jake privately admitted to me the exile was one of the hardest decisions he had to make as Olo'eyktan. He didn't want to send me away but his responsibilities as clan leader had to come first. I understood what he meant, particularly the part about responsibilities and the sacrifices they can demand of you.

Niysia was awake. I could tell by the rhythm of her heart. I held her securely, careful not to press too hard on her injured shoulder. I considered a queue connection, but thought the better of it for now. Our wounds still needed several more days to heal. I thought, at last I could sleep and feel safe. Feel at home, where I belong, with those who care about me, and I them. I glanced at Niysia, she returned the gaze and said, "Nathan, what are you thinking?"

I considered my words for a moment, and replied, "I'm sorry you had to hear about my family from another person. I should have swallowed my pride and fear long before now and told you about them. It was a subject I always knew would have to be discussed one day, but I always pushed it off to another day. A decision I regret, and hope you can forgive."

Niysia was silent for a few moments and finally said, "Of course I forgive you. I see you and I know your strong heart. You weren't alone in your fear of the subject. I never asked because if I had, then my own past would have come up as well. I think we both sensed the topic was not for discussion. Besides, we had more pressing things to talk about, remember?" I chuckled, "I recall. You were a good teacher. It was Eywa's Blessing and your teaching that kept me alive out there in the forest." She replied, "It helped to have such an attentive student." We pressed our foreheads together, kissed tenderly, and after a moment, just laughed. We stared at one another for a few seconds and she rested her head back on my chest.

I lay there considering what she'd just said. It dawned on me that I'd never asked about her family. I must have done the same, without even thinking about it. After all, if I had asked her, then I would have had to open up also and that was something I wasn't prepared to do. I said, "I think we were both afraid to ask the question, even though we desperately wanted answers. I suppose we still have a lot to learn about each other." There was an awkward silence as I considered what I'd just said.

She raised her head to look into my eyes. My eyes widened as I quickly said, "I didn't mean…" Niysia interrupted me and said, "No, you're right. It's time you knew the truth, Nathan. Honestly, in the forest my heart was divided. I wanted to help you and at the same time find out if you had betrayed the Omaticaya to the Sky People. It was easier for me to think of you as a betrayer after your fight with Jake then give you the benefit of the doubt. I followed you because I wanted to prove it, one-way or the other. Prove you were Omaticaya or something else and I almost killed you over it." I noticed her body was trembling as she spoke the words.

I just laid there in silence, not sure what to say. I decided it best to not say anything for the moment. She continued, "You've always had a strong heart, and I've always meant it when I've said I see you, but I don't think I ever truly trusted you until now. For Na'vi, mating is necessary, but trust and loyalty are choices." A few moments of silence passed.

I caressed her back gently and whispered, "I don't understand everything, but like you've told me before, we don't have to understand it all. I see you and that will suffice." After a few minutes, Niysia raised her head again, "I want to tell you everything." I smiled, "both of my ears are yours."

Niysia paused a moment as she considered her next words, her facial expression filled with a sort of calm sadness. "In past seasons I've had many reasons to distrust humans. Before I met you I had heard stories of you when you were still human. Jake would not speak of it, but most Na'vi referred to you as the 'Cold Sky Man.' Many of us spoke of how you disrespected the young Na'vi boy when you first came to Pandora and how you always refused to meet with Jake. Some thought you were like the Sky People who were here before and that you had come to Pandora to bring their revenge."

"To say the least, there were some barriers I had to overcome, but when I saw you for the first time as a real Na'vi, I saw a different side of you. You willingly placed your life in Moat's hands and embraced the transition. In doing so you accepted Eywa's Blessing and showed honor toward our people. From that day on my feelings toward you started to change. You also impressed me with how quickly you adapted to life among our people. I started to believe my eyes, and not the stories."

I quietly replied, "I can understand why you felt that way. In those days, I held a great deal of prejudice toward the Na'vi and Pandora, because I blamed them for my mother's death. It was a hard time for me. I needed to hold someone responsible and since RDA was gone, I took my frustrations out on the Na'vi."

Niysia gently ran her free hand across the side of my face, "You are not the same person that walked past that young boy. Eywa has blessed you, Eywa has changed you, just as she changed me."

I said, "Changed you?"

A few moments passed as I waited for her to explain what she meant. Finally, Niysia said, "All Na'vi do three things. Become one of The People, take a life mate, and care for their family. Like all Na'vi I did these things." Tears began to swell up in her eyes. I took my free hand and lifted her chin and said, "I've always known I wasn't your first chose, but I see you and don't need to know those things in your past."

She looked up at me. I could see it in her eyes and her expression implied it was time to ask the question. A question I was reasonably sure I knew the answer to but it had to be aired in order for our love to grow. I took a deep breath, and asked the question I'd wanted to ask since I fell in love with Niysia, "What happened to your family?"

Her body was visibly trembling now, her tail had unraveled from my leg and twitched from side to side nervously. I held her securely in my arms. In a low voice she said, "My family died when the Sky People destroyed Hometree. I lost my mother, father, and younger sister when the tree fell and my mate during the great battle." She paused a second to take a long breath.

I mumbled, "You were orphaned. There must have been many orphans…" my voice trailed off.

Niysia just looked up at me with a curious expression. "I've never heard that word. What does orph...aned mean?"

I stared into her eyes a few seconds as I wondered how best to explain it. It was obvious to me now that in a tribal culture like this one the concept of caring for the young was different. It was more communal than modern cultures on Earth. I thought it best to keep it simple. I replied, "It's what humans call a child or young person who has lost their parents." Niysia's curiosity took on a more confused yet thoughtful expression, "Strange. Omaticaya care for each other no matter what." I nodded, "I think I just learned something new." We both smiled at each other as she rested her head again on my chest.

After a few moments, I whispered, "what about your mate?" Niysia raised her head back up but didn't speak at first. I could feel her trembling again and could tell the memories were close to the surface. She finally continued, "His name was Tsyal. We were paired very young to become life mates. We would have been joined at the next Solstice Ceremony, but the Great War with the Sky People took place and he was killed in the battle."

She paused. Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued; "Tsyal was a brave warrior and had been chosen to fly with Tsu'Tey's Ikran formation during the battle. I saw him die as he followed Tsu'Tey into the great flying ship, both were killed by the Sky People." Tears rolled down Niysia's cheek. I pulled her closer and gingerly caressed her cheek, wiping away the tears as I said, "It's ok, they're both with Eywa and their spirits live on."

A few moments later, Niysia looked up at me, "It's truly a blessing from Eywa to see how you've changed over these past months." I thought, Change? She's right; I see things from a different viewpoint now. How many men have I killed in the line of duty? None of them ever got a moment of regret. Not until I faced James. It wasn't the same, despite the evil he'd done. Yes, I was a different person now, changed in more ways than just the physical. The difference was Niysia.

She continued, "After I saw him killed, I was distracted. My emotions turned to chaos. I don't recall most of the battle, or how many humans I ended that day. My Ikran formation tried to attack the smaller gunships. The human's weapons didn't have to hit you to be dangerous. Several of them struck nearby rocks and exploded. The force of the blast threw several of us off our Ikrans, myself included. When I awoke, I was on the forest floor, wounded from the fall but alive. The battle had ended."

Niysia paused, as if she were reliving some of the memories in her mind. She continued, "We won the battle, but the cost was terribly high. So many had lost their families, mates, and our home. The memories are so painful, I don't know if I'll ever completely heal from those wounds." I took the opportunity to interject, "I don't think anyone can ever fully heal from those kinds of wounds…" my voice trailed off.

Niysia lifted her head to gaze into my eyes, and for the first time realized the depth of the scars on my spirit. Scars she could treat, but never fully heal. She said, "I think I understand now. Together we live on and honor their memories." I looked down at her and smiled, "Yes, under Eywa's branches." She smiled, and placed her head on my chest. Her tail once again wrapped around my leg. Our souls had become blissfully entangled.

Several minutes later, as we lay together in the comfort of each other's arms. I said, "I saw something terrible in James's memories." Niysia looked up at me with a dreadful curiosity in her expression. I continued, "We told the others what happened, but after tonight, I realize there are some burdens I don't need to carry alone. Tomorrow, I'll talk to Jake and explain to him what I saw in my vision."

A moment passed and Niysia asked, "What did you see?" My expression turned to stark sadness; I glanced up at the stars for a second and back to Niysia. I replied in a faint voice, "The Destroyer of Worlds." Niysia's grip on me tightened, "Eywa will protect us, and I believe you will as well." She raised her head up and kissed me on the cheek, "I see you." I smiled, and replied, " and I see you." We fell asleep in each other's arms, as I stared into the sky above. A shooting star passed overhead, and I wished upon it. "I wish I could save Pandora." I closed my eyes as a single tear slipped down my cheek.


	33. Ch32: Situation Report

**Chapter 32 – Situation Report**

Charlie stood on the bridge of the Dark Miner. He stared out the large observation windows, looking out into the dark forest beyond. It had become a personal ritual he made a point to attend to everyday, since he'd arrived on Pandora. Behind him were the sounds of an active bridge crew; people came and went with the familiar vibration of the mining operation going on many decks below his feet. He half-heartedly listened as Laura; his executive officer oversaw the ship's daily operations nearby.

Deep in thought, Charlie surmised things were about to move to a whole new level. He couldn't relax on this one, or underestimate the locals again. He mumbled, "Can't say I expected to have to deal with a damned Na'vi Rhodes Scholar, but like usual I'll manage." Charlie chuckled to himself. He heard a lot of activity behind him, so he turned to see what was happening. Of course he already knew the cause.

Laura looked up from her halo console, "Fortune Miner is entering orbit now, sir. Anything I should pass to them?" Charlie thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, I want to keep our operations close enough that we can provide mutual air cover and support. Tell them to do their survey and pick the best site within 500 kilometers of Dark Miner." Laura nodded and relayed the message. Charlie interrupted her, "And tell Thaddeus I want to talk to him as soon as he's landed." Laura said, "Understood."

Charlie walked down a few steps toward the center of the ship's bridge, over to a large halo display that showed a three-dimensional blow up of Polyphemus and all the space around it, Pandora included. The display hovered over the console as it slowly rotated. Charlie paid close attention to a red blip that had only showed up on the display a few minutes prior. He knew it was the Black Jack's encrypted transponder; she was almost here. It was all coming together now, just as he'd planned it.

He said to himself under his breath, "This moon is mine now, and no one's going to take it away. The Na'vi never had a chance, not from day one. Very soon, I'll teach them a lesson in humility. It's just a matter of time and it's running out for them." He chuckled to himself again. Laura walked up behind him, "Mr. Porter, the superluminal comms system just finished processing the company's reply. Here it is," she handed the message to him on a halo pad and he read it.

Inter-Stellar-Packet Burst Transmission (Encrypted) to Dark Miner

Date: 17 October 2155

From: Angela Yeager – RDA Special Projects Division

To: *&^(*$ (data corrupted)

Subj: (Reply) Project Shell Game Situation Report…

Charles,

We've received your report and have analyzed the situation, taking into account economic, legal, and political factors back here on Earth related to this project. I don't need to stress how vital it is for your people to complete repairs to the supply ship. We agree with your assessment that most likely the late Dr. Nathan LeMay had some involvement in the supply ship's sabotage.

We are a little weak on the details as to how he managed to anticipate and plan such a delayed sabotage against his own supply ship. Nor, do we have any explanation for why a science station would be using a secure and obfuscated satellite network. Unfortunately, our sources close to the former project couldn't explain it either. I'm afraid it's a mystery that died with Dr. LeMay. We also concur that it would be a waste of resources to conduct a general search with your limited supplies. Despite the unlikely possibility of future sabotage we recommend your security maintain vigilance until the Black Jack arrives.

You may or may not find this interesting, but our sources were able to confirm Dr. LeMay's reputation for cunning and tactical surprises were not undeserved during his military years. It's unfortunate that he died with his station. He might have been an excellent ally in our efforts, considering what I've read from a recently obtained partial copy of his classified personnel record. Apparently his personal dislike for Pandora and the Na'vi was well known among his closest friends. Too bad we weren't aware of that opinion sooner. We suspect, like most that have gone to Pandora, the pay was good, and it would have been icing on the cake for his already impressive resume. It's a shame he's no longer with us. We could have used a man like him.

With regard to business…

Our political allies have made it clear they won't come forward with their influence until they have proof that a shipment of unobtanium is on its way home to Earth. Since the broadcast of the distress signal from Augustine Space Station, public opinion has been less favorable toward Earth's involvement on Pandora.

To add further complications, a string of indictments and confessions by some of our low level executives hasn't helped matters. However, more importantly we learned less than a week ago that United States authorities, with military assistance seized control of ISV Venture Star's main computer and redirected the vessel to Kepler Station. Apparently, Mr. Parker Selfridge will be taken into protective custody, pending his testimony against RDA's actions on Pandora in 2154 and the events leading up to the confrontation.

As you know this could pose a significant problem for Shell Game and it now makes your role in this operation the linchpin to its success. You have a free hand to do what must be done to successfully complete this mission. I don't think we need to stress to you the considerable capital investment that has been made in this venture. However, after some discussion we've decided to add an extra 10 percent to your contract, if you can complete it on time.

You should also be aware that our friends within OffWorld Mining, Inc have been exposed. Apparently there was a leak. However, it has come too late for our rivals to capitalize on their discovery. We control both of their prototype mining ships, yours and Fortune Miner. Considering current public opinion, they'll be less than eager to publicize the theft, or the fact that their ships were built for the express purpose of mining Pandora. How they intended to safely mine Pandora doesn't matter now. It's all in how you market the details, of course. Don't worry, your mutiny cover is still intact, as well as your real identity.

Regarding the medical condition of Doctor James Michaels. We understand that since his last use of the Avatar chamber, and its subsequent malfunction, he has become clinically brain dead. Unfortunately, it was a final and binding condition to his contract that he return home for debriefing. Since that won't happen, we've executed a nullification clause. His contract has been terminated without payment.

Sadly, his family was unable to afford to have his body shipped home; they've authorized his disconnection and subsequent cremation. We've offered to pay to have the ashes returned to Earth at no cost to the family. Please take care of the details.

The Fortune Miner should have arrived or be close to arrival when you receive this message. Based on my calculations, the Black Jack should arrive a few days later. You should have everything you need to carry out your mission.

Also be advised, due to the increasing investigation by various law enforcement elements on Earth, we are relocating this operation to our facility on Mars for security reasons. New encryption codes are embedded with this transmission.

Finally, I have some sad news. Mr. Ronald Selfridge, RDA Chairman of the Board passed away a few days ago. His physician said it was from natural causes. Just thought you should know. Terry Chu, Vice President of Special Projects was elected to succeed him as Chairman.

Good Luck,

Angela

**End-of-transmission.**

Charlie looked up from the halo pad he'd been reading the message on. He dropped it on a nearby desk, looked at Laura, and said, "Looks like we have the ball now, like that was ever in doubt." Laura smiled, "I say we go for the touchdown." There was a short pause and then both of them laughed in unison at the Laura's clichéd comment.

He loudly said across the bridge, "Comms officer!" A voice from the other side of the bridge said "Yes sir!" Now that Charlie had his attention, "Advise Mr. Leonard Kim that he can pull the plug on Dr. Michaels' body and have it cremated for return home on the next outgoing ship." The Comms Officer said, "Understood sir."

Laura asked, "One question though. Why not tell them about LeMay?" Charlie immediately replied, "Laura, you have a lot to learn about this business. First lesson in building an impeccable reputation is that you don't make mistakes. Even if you do, never let the client know, then you clean up the loose ends." She nodded, "I guess we'll need to send someone to find LeMay?" He replied, "Hell no. There are to many unknowns out there. If he happens to still be alive, he's cut off from his technology and he can't get off this rock, even if he wanted to. Don't worry, in due time he'll come to us, and then we'll kick his blue ass and make him wish he'd died with his station." Laura grinned, "Sounds like an outstanding plan, sir."

Just as Laura started to walk away, Charlie said, "Oh, and one more thing. Let me know as soon as the Black Jack is in comms range. I need to speak to their Captain." Laura nodded and went back to work.

Charlie walked back up to the observation windows, his hands clinched firmly behind his back. His attention once again turned inward, as he played out all of the conceivable endgame scenarios in his mind. None of them ended well for Pandora or the Na'vi.

Meanwhile, in orbit above Pandora, a large ship detached from its interstellar engine, having left it in orbit along side Dark Miner's engine. It began its descent into the Pandoran atmosphere. Soon, a second mine would be digging into the heart of Pandora.


	34. Ch33: Interludes of the Mind

**Chapter 33 – Interludes of the Mind**

As the days past, the Pandoran forests were as alive as ever…

Niysia and I had been home now for over two weeks. My wounds had mostly healed. Niysia's shoulder wound was much deeper and would take longer to heal, but that was expected. The fight with James back at Hell's Gate still dominated my thoughts as I tried to make sense of what I saw and felt in the moments just before his death.

It was a pleasant evening as Niysia and I sat near one of the communal campfires. We listened to some of the young Na'vi make music with their flutes that complimented the stories the elders told of ancient times. The stories of Toruk Makto were fascinating to me. I allowed my mind to ramble some. I was grateful that the Omaticaya had welcomed me home, but I noticed there were some who still acted cautiously around me. I suppose that was to be expected considering all that's happened these past months. Some things only time can heal. As I looked around me, it was evident in some of their faces; they were glad I was home, but concerned nonetheless. Hell, if I were them, I'd be cautious around me as well. I chuckled at the thought.

I returned to my thoughts as I enjoyed Niysia's company and the music, I had to admit, what James did was both a stroke of genius and pure evil at the same time. Michaels used me to spy on the Omaticaya. It bothers me to think about what other perversions the Avatar tech could be used for. I understood now why Dad was so worried about who had access to it. Considering the Man-O-War I got lucky taking down, I wonder how many more they have on Pandora. Even on the black market the damned things have got to be rare. Still, I get a bad vibe every time I start to think about the possibilities.

The evening's entertainment was enjoyable. I found the stories compelling and since I was a Na'vi now, it made sense that I learn my own history. I suspect if I live long enough, I'll be called on one day to tell my story.

I glanced at Niysia and smiled, then looked across the fire at Jake and Neytiri who sat not far from us. I had heard the Na'vi stories of Jake's heroism when he fought RDA back in 2154, but his recent actions had proven himself a wise leader in my eyes. After all he was a Toruk Makto and I have to imagine that happened for a reason as well. I wonder if he ever feels the pull of his former humanity like I do? Probably not, unlike me, his obligations are focused solely on his people. One day, I hope to be as well. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Niysia lifted her head from my shoulder but before she could ask, I whispered, "I'm fine." I smiled at her and turned my attention back to the music and she placed her head back on my shoulder.

As the music played and the stories were told I thought how much my Mother would have enjoyed being here to see it. A couple of days ago I finally sat down with Jake and the others. I tried to explain my past actions when I was still human and why I had come to Pandora in the first place. I was surprised at how much he already knew about my previous life as a human, my extensive understanding of human technology and family connections to Pandora. It turned out he already knew most of it, but he never brought it up because he could tell it haunted me. As he put it, "I was waiting for you to bring it up." He knew my father had been Dr. Ezekiel LeMay, a well-known scientist in the field of Avatar technology, and he knew that I was Grace and Ezekiel's son. Apparently, Kenny told Norm about me and he passed it on to Jake, since I wouldn't meet with him. It answered one of my nagging questions, as to why Jake and Neytiri showed such an uncommon level of trust in me from day one.

I paused in my reflections for a few moments, and attentively listened to an intriguing part of a story one of the elders told. It occurred to me, as I returned to my thoughts. I'll never know if I could of saved myself a lot pain and suffering, if I'd just met with Jake when I had the chance. After all he tried several times and I refused all of his requests. Hell, if my mind hadn't been so poisoned by my own depression over things I had no control over, I might have seen clues that I missed. I shouldn't go there. Second guessing what might have been is a fool's errand.

Niysia asked, "Nathan, you seem distant. Are you all right?" "I'm okay; just enjoying the stories and thinking about the past." I smiled at her and she smiled back as we pressed our foreheads together for a moment. I pulled back and noticed her eyes were still closed so I kissed her on the nose once; her eyes popped open with a grin on her face. Then we turned our attention back to the stories and music.

After a few minutes Niysia whispered in my ear, "have you told Jake about your vision yet?" I whispered back, "Not yet, you know I've been trying to understand it better before I have to explain it." She interjected, "so what you really meant when you first explained it to me, was you'd tell him when you were good and ready. Right?" She nudged me in the side as she giggled. I just smirked at her, "I admitted to putting it off the other day when you asked about it, but I suppose it is what it is. Despite how hard I've tried, I can't separate the memories any further. I still don't understand why that one came through so clearly." Niysia looked me in the eyes and frowned. I continued, "Ok, I'm done. I promise I'll tell him tomorrow morning, no need to ruin this evening." Niysia whispered, "We agree, no more putting it off. Tomorrow morning you'll tell him," she placed her head back my shoulder and we continued to listen to the stories and music.

As the end of the day arrived once again, I conducted my own personal ritual. I stared up into the night sky and counted the stars above, while I felt the warm comfort of Niysia's touch against my skin. Niysia laid next to me in our hammock, her head pressed against my chest, probably listening to my heartbeat. She's always liked the rhythm because it helped her to go to sleep. However, tonight she was awake with her right arm stretched over my stomach, gripping my side and her tail tightly wrapped around my leg. I knew her shoulder wound was bothering her, so I rested my left arm across her back and with my left hand I gently massaged her right shoulder. The wound had healed outwardly but the muscle tissue was still very tight and sensitive. At first she twitched squeamishly at my touch but as I gently rubbed, I could tell the massage was working because her entire body relaxed.

Niysia looked up at me and we stared into each other's eyes absorbed into one another's being, no words were necessary. She pulled my queue around, and smiled, I returned the smile, and with my left hand pulled her queue over her shoulder. As we held each other's queues we connected, something we'd done many times and tonight would be no different for life mates. I reached up with my right hand and pulled on the hammock to make it close in over us to provide greater privacy. We kissed tenderly, as we lay together deeply content in each other's intimate feelings.

The next day…

I requested a private audience with Jake. Despite some concern about Jake and I being alone together by the elders, Jake approved my request. We walked along a stream on the outskirts of the village, watched from a distance. I explained the connection I had made with James at Hell's Gate and all the details of the experience I'd left out of my public version of the events. To say the least, Jake was shocked by the details of the memory and what I'd done.

When I finished my explanation I said, "the main reason I didn't come forth sooner was I've been trying hard to understand more of the memories, with no luck. For some reason, this one memory came to the surface, almost as if James wanted to warn me, but then again that's only a theory. He died a few seconds after I disconnected with him." Jake replied, "Who else knows about this?" I said, "Only Niysia and you." Jake thought for a few moments, his expression appeared disturbed, and for good reason I thought. Finally he said, "There's nothing we can do about it, so there's no reason to tell the people. It would only frighten or confuse them, but I will tell Moat and some of the elders. They deserve to know what the humans could be planning." I nodded in agreement. We both walked back into the village in silence, Jake obviously deep in thought. Under my breath I mumbled to myself, "I told him Niysia, may Eywa protect us now." I think Jake overheard me as I said it, but I didn't mind.

Later that evening, high above Pandora in geosynchronous orbit…

Two of the three remaining inert comms satellites that once belonged to Augustine Science Station received new instructions for the first time since the station's destruction. One transmitted an encrypted message to Earth; another sent an encrypted message into the void of deep space. The third satellite did something unusual. It realigned its transmission dish toward Pandora and broadcast in the clear an ancient English ballad.

Aboard the Dark Miner…

Charlie stood on the bridge looking out over the dark forest like usual as he listened to "The World Turned Upside Down" set to bagpipes and played through the bridge speakers. Laura walked up behind him and said, "What does it mean sir?" Charlie turned to look at Laura with a grin on his face, "It means there's a new player on the board." He turned back to the view of his window and hummed along with the song. Laura's expression took on a perplexed look as she wondered if the song was a good or bad thing. Either way, Charlie didn't seem surprised by it.

Once the messages were sent and the song had played several times, all three satellites received their final instructions: 'Initiate Deorbit Sequence.'


	35. Ch34: Commitment

**Chapter 34 – Commitment**

Two days later…

The clan sat around campfires and fire pits, enjoying the communal evening meal. Song and chanting surrounded us, the atmosphere was jovial as the children played and adults talked among themselves. Niysia and I were seated near Jake, Neytiri, Moat, and several other elder Na'vi as matters of the clan were discussed. While I listened to the elders' debate, I felt out of place. After all that's happened these past months, it felt strange to be seated at the elder's campfire, but I kept my opinion to myself.

My thoughts paused for a moment as I focused in on a discussion between Wokan and Jake. It seemed there was new talk among several of the younger warriors of forming another war party to attack the humans. I noticed how Jake and Wokan agreed this time: it was a bad idea, at least for now.

I listened to the general discussion among the elders. This time about more mundane things, water rights, the next hunting party and who should lead it, oddly enough my name came up. Then a topic I've heard more often, border disputes with other clans. It seems that several of the clans the Omaticaya are allied with and mutually suffered with during the 2154 struggle were now having their land encroached upon by distant clans. Apparently, not all of the Na'vi clans answered Toruk Makto's call to arms in 2154. Now those clans are stronger in numbers and so it appears even the Na'vi aren't immune from tribal strife and politics. I suspect this topic wouldn't go away, things like that never do.

I watched as the evening's arguments deteriorated into 'what if' scenarios and rumors. My thoughts turned inward as I observed Jake show wise leadership and charisma toward those around him as each topic was discussed. I noticed he occasionally glanced at me but I remained silent.

As the evening's conversions progressed I started to wonder if my presence helped Jake feel more relaxed in his role as Ole'eyktan. It was probably just my imagination. I know he doesn't need my consul because he's a born leader and every one of these warriors, myself included, would follow him straight through the gates of Hell if that's what he asked us to do. Jake interrupted my train of thought as he asked, "Nathan what do you think about another war party?" I thought for a moment and said, "I think it's a good idea."

Jake appeared surprised by my response. He didn't expect me to agree with Wokan. There was a strange silence over the campfire, as it became apparent everyone, including Wokan, was shocked. After a moment I continued, "It's been a few months since the last war party and we all know how that turned out for our side. Since then we've seen transport shuttles flying into the sky and back, which means they've begun to load their captured supply ship with unobtanium bound for Earth. We need to stop them or at least slow them down."

I paused for a moment and glanced around the campfire at the stone faces of my fellow Na'vi. I had their attention so I continued, "However, when humans think they're invulnerable they become overconfident and make mistakes. Our patrols have watched them from a distance for a while now. Although they stay inside their metal shells most of the time, the humans have been seen venturing out, probably to do reconnaissance of the area. If we're patient, I think an opportunity to capture one or more of those patrols could present itself, either by their own mistakes, or a carefully laid trap. We need prisoners we can interrogate and perhaps trade back for our own people."

The campfire remained quiet for a moment as elder and warrior alike considered my words. Jake finally spoke, "I agree. Wokan and Nathan together will lead the war party." Wokan stood and stared at Jake. He asked, "Together?" Jake replied, "Yes together. You have Pandoran experience and Nathan has Human experience. Together you two will be formidable warriors against these Sky People." Wokan stood there a moment as he thought about what Jake said. Finally he walked over to me. I stood up. He placed his right hand on my shoulder and said, "Nathan, the Ole'eyktan is wise. I will ride with you." I placed my right hand on his shoulder and replied, "I will ride with you as well, Brother."

Jake said, "You will assemble your warriors in the morning. Nathan, tell them everything they need to know about these Sky People. As soon as the patrol returns with the latest news, your war party will fly at the next nightfall. For now, let's enjoy the rest of this night." Jake motioned to several young Na'vi to play some music on their flutes and the conversation returned to other matters of the clan.

Just as several young Na'vi had been brought before the elders to discuss preparations for an upcoming dream-hunt, we heard a commotion at the edge of Hometree. A High Plains clan rider had arrived painted in the colors of a messenger. The messenger rode a huge direhorse. I had been told the plains direhorses grew larger than those in the forest, probably a difference in diet and roaming space. However, despite its powerful demeanor, this direhorse appeared to be utterly exhausted, almost to the point of death.

The rider was female and abruptly stopped her direhorse just at the edge of the village, as several Omaticaya warriors surrounded her. She dismounted, placed her bow on the ground, unsheathed her knife and placed it on the ground as well and then raised her hands palms out; to show she had come in peace. Apparently this was an old ritual among the Na'vi, not unlike how humans once acted in ancient times on Earth.

We walked out to meet her at the edge of the village. She waited for approval to approach Jake. He nodded to her and she stood up, stumbling at first, her fatigue was obvious. She shrugged off any assistance, straightened herself up, walked up to Jake, and dropped to her knees in front of him. She appeared as exhausted as her direhorse, but it was clear she sought to show respect, "I am Mi'niri of the High Plains clan, great leader of the Omaticaya, and I bring a message from my clan elders."

She paused a moment to catch her breathe and continued, "A great ship of the Sky People has come to our lands. It landed near my village on top of one of our sacred burial grounds. Our war parties attacked it three days ago…" she paused as a grim look crossed her face. She continued, "We lost many warriors in the battle." Almost immediately her composure regained an expression of harsh determination. Jake replied, "Did the ship look like the one here in our lands?" She replied, "I have not seen the great ship here, but based on the stories I've heard, yes, they are similar if not just alike."

Jake paused in thought for a moment and glanced over at me. I said, "it's probably another space miner," my sullen voice trailed off. Mi'niri glanced at me then back to Jake. After a short pause Jake said to Mi'niri, "Rest here until daybreak, and you may have a fresh direhorse to return home to the plains. Tell your clan elders that we've suffered as well. These humans are different than those before when we fought as one. These humans are cowards and will not come out to fight us directly."

Jake's expression appeared frustrated as he continued, "It is with a heavy heart that I say, tell your elders that to send any more of your people against them would gain nothing but dead warriors. Ask them to spread these words to the rest of the clans, and we will do the same."

Mi'niri, said, "Your bravery and wisdom is well-known Great Ole'eyktan. I will deliver your words to my people, and pray to Eywa for her protection against these Sky People." Jake replied, "Very well, come sit with us and eat, you must be exhausted."

After a couple of hours of conversation around the campfires, Jake decided to hold off on sending another war party until we knew more about the new Sky People. Wokan and I agreed with Jake, this new arrival deserved our attention for now. Wokan whispered to me, "this delay will give us more time to prepare, so the next battle will be ours." I nodded in agreement.

Jake stood near the campfire with its flames at his back as he prepared to address the elders and warriors that were present. He said "the time has come to call for a meeting of all the clan leaders to discuss what, if anything, we can do to stop the Sky People as well as provide for our common defense against rival clans. So many of our people died during the Great Battle," Jake glanced at Niysia then continued, "and the question now is how many warriors must die to rid Pandora of this new human scourge?"

Neytiri walked up to stand next to Jake and took hold of his left hand. Jake pulled his knife with his right hand, lifted it in the air and said in a proud tone, "The Omaticaya will not yield!" Niysia and I both stood up. We pulled our knives and held them high, as did all of the Na'vi present.

Even as I held my knife high and repeated with the others, "The Omaticaya will not yield!" I thought it was both patriotic and heart wrenching at the same time. Probably because I knew better than anyone what we were up against. Did we have a choice? No. Resistance was our only choice, so that's what we would do, to the last Na'vi if Eywa required it. As the group chanted, a tear rolled down my cheek and I said under my breath, "Please Eywa, give me the strength and wisdom to protect my people." Just as I finished the words, I realized Niysia had overheard me. She looked me in the eyes and whispered, "I see you Nathan, your heart and soul are now both Na'vi." She smiled at me and I simply stared back into her eyes while a new determination to protect my love and people welled up in my being.

Jake sent the messengers out that night to make the invitation. He asked me to stand at his side when it came time to explain the danger the humans represented to us all. I agreed without hesitation.


	36. Ch35: Falling Stars

**Chapter 35 – Falling Stars**

Several hours later, aboard the Dark Miner…

An alarm sounded on the bridge as the Sensor Control Operator called out, "We have a proximity alert in low orbit!" The bridge Watch Officer quickly walked over to see what caused the alarm. As we walked, the officer yelled, "Shut off that damned alarm." A moment later the alarm was silenced as he leaned over the shoulder of the Sensor Control Operator. The Operator stated, "We're tracking twelve unknown bogies. The objects are small but apparently under power because they're making course corrections. Atmospheric insertion is estimated in four minutes, eighteen seconds. Mark! Projected touch down will be somewhere near the old RDA Hell's Gate facility." The Watch Officer straightened up and said, "Let's prep two 'Ready-Alert' fighters, while I get the approval for a recon-mission. The Operator replied, "I'm on it, sir."

The Watch Officer went back to his station to wake up his superiors with the news. After what appeared to be a one-sided conversation the Watch Officer finally replied, "Understood sir. We'll stand down immediately." Several seconds passed as the Watch Officer stood silent as if he was having trouble comprehending his orders, when the Sensor Control Operator called out, "Sir, I'm waiting for a 'Go, No-Go' order!" The Watch Officer walked back over to the Operator and said with a nonchalant tone, "Call it off." The Operator replied, "Sir?" Again, the Watch Officer said, "Call it off. Those are Mr. Porter's direct orders and don't ask questions." The Operator just nodded slowly while he sent the recall order. The Watch Officer shook his head as walked back to his station and slowly the bridge returned to its normal operating rhythm.

Meanwhile in the forest at Hometree, the sky grew brighter as dawn approached…

Niysia and I had awakened earlier than usual so we could be there when Mi'niri departed. Jake and Moat were waiting for us at the edge of the village. Jake told us that Neytiri had stayed behind in their hammock to take care of Tarya. Apparently she hadn't slept well during the night.

It was a kind of suffering new to the Omaticaya and since my arrival I'd noticed many Na'vi with these troubles, even Niysia. Before the Sky People had come the Omaticaya had never known such extreme suffering on a mass scale. Even Jake suffered from it. Whether or not his was from 2154 or back on Earth its effects were still noticeable to the experienced eye. If a diagnosis were made, I suspect it would be 'Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome,' and of course the children would be most susceptible to its bloody effects. I made a low grunt and sigh as I tried to hold back my frustration at the wrongs done by those who had come before me.

Jake said, "Nathan, you look bothered. Everything okay?"

I nodded, "I'm fine. Sorry to hear about Tarya." Jake nodded gratefully at my concern and pressed on with the business at hand.

As the group's attention was focused on the details of the message to Mi'niri's people and the invitation for the High Plains clan, Wokan swooped into a fast landing on his Ikran. He frantically jumped to the ground and excitedly said, "Jake, Jake!" He pointed into the distant sky and continued, "Look at the falling stars! I've never seen so many at one time, all falling in the same direction."

All of us stood there a few seconds, watching the fiery streaks as they blazed a path across the sky. Unlike other falling stars we'd seen, these appeared to be burning just as bright as when they started, and they seemed to be slowing down as the fell toward the forest.

We each called out to our individual Ikrans to come to us and they came. Quickly, they swooped out of Hometree's many branches, to land in front of their individual riders. I patted Blood Stripe on the side of his long head above his eyes, connected with him, and mounted, his wings spread wide. His size was on par with Jake's Ikran. I sometimes wondered if they were brothers as well.

Once everyone was mounted, we took flight. The powerful flock of Ikran quickly gained altitude and I could see better the direction of the falling stars. Jake pointed to one of the highest big limbs of Hometree as a good vantage point to watch the falling stars come down. A few seconds later, we landed and dismounted our Ikrans. We just stood in silence as we watched the twelve falling stars streak across the sky toward the Pandoran forests below. I rationalized that a normal shooting star would have burned out by now, or already hit the ground, but these were different somehow.

Wokan said, "Look, they are coming down somewhere near the old Sky People's colony."

Jake said, "I've never seen anything like it before."

Niysia, Moat, Wokan, and Mi'niri all nodded in agreement. I, however, just watched. All emotion drained from my face as I realized what I was looking at.

I blinked my eyes a few times to be sure of what I saw and said with a low, dreadful tone, "Jake, I think I've seen something like this before," my voice quivering as I spoke the words. Everyone turned to look at me and Jake, with a concerned expression on his face, placed his right hand on my shoulder and said, "What is it Nathan? And why does it scare you?"

I just stood there like a statue, struck with fear in my face. I stared at what appeared to be twelve streaks in the sky. I mumbled in a low voice, "Twelve of them, that would be about right…" my voice trailed off. Jake said in a firm voice this time, "Nathan, you're not making sense. Twelve what? What are they?" I shook the hesitation off and answered, "Jake, I think it's a combat orbital insertion, a military tactic used to secure a hostile landing zone from orbit."

Jake turned to watch the streaks again for a second. They finally started to fade as they reached the ground. He turned back to me, "Those are war machines of some kind…" as a hint of fear crept into his voice.

I interjected, "They're called Man-O-Wars and they are most certainly a kind of bloody war machine."

The others, with exception to Niysia, didn't know how to react. They saw our facial expressions grow fearful as Jake and I both realized what had just happened in the sky above us. Jake said, "It's not over, is it?" With a faint and fearful tone I replied, "No, it's not."

Niysia turned to me and asked, "Nathan, you called that metal creature at Hell's Gate a Man-O-War. All those streaks are the same?" I looked at Niysia; fear was creeping into her face as well, as I said, "Yes. That's what they are, the only question is are they friendly or not."

Jake looked at me with a confused expression, "If they're not with the other humans, who are they?"

I replied, "I never brought it up before, because I assumed since they didn't show up when the supply ship arrived that they had joined the other humans, or returned home."

Jake asked, "Who are we talking about, Nathan?"

I replied, "Oh sorry. I'm referring to the UN Expeditionary Force. Their orders were to reinforce Hell's Gate and provide security for the UN Science Mission. I can't explain why they've just arrived or why they felt it necessary to land in such a hostile manner."

Wokan said, "They must be allied with the other Sky People. Why would they expect us to attack them?"

Jake replied, "I don't know, but I'm not ready to make any assumptions either."

Wokan nodded.

I added, "Perhaps they don't know who to trust, so they're being cautious. Maybe they're not on anyone's side yet."

Moat said, "Jake, the only way to learn their intentions is for one of us to ask them."

Jake replied, "You're right, someone has to go talk to them." He stood there a moment and contemplated our next move. After a few seconds of thought he continued, "Wokan, go get two more warriors and meet Nathan and I at the Ikran's nest."

Mi'niri interjected, "Jake, I'd like to go as well. I need to see them so I can explain the threat to my people."

Jake reluctantly agreed. "All right, you can fly with me."

Niysia turned to me, and started to speak, but I put my finger across her lips, "Please don't ask. We have no idea what we're going to find. I need you stay here for now. Jake will need me at my best on this one and if we don't come back, Neytiri will need you to lead the rescue party." I placed both my hands on her cheeks and I rubbed my right thumb across her lips, as I stared deep into her eyes. We then pressed our foreheads together and kissed tenderly.

Niysia pulled her head back, looked at me from head to toe, then glared back into my eyes. She slowly smiled, "Alright. I'll stay here, but don't get killed because I still have plans for you." We both smiled and laughed. Our foreheads met again for one final kiss. I said, "I'll do my best to come back in one piece." Jake asked Moat to explain what had occurred to Neytiri and let her know we should be back before nightfall.

I followed Jake up the tree toward the Ikrans' nest. We stopped along the way to grab our knives and bows. Neither of us were sure how this encounter would turn out, or what it meant for the Omaticayas' future.


	37. Ch36: Three of a Kind

**Chapter 36 – Three of a Kind**

Just as the morning broke, we set out…

Cautiously, our small party flew low over the tree canopy in the direction of Hell's Gate. By the time we had taken flight, the skies were clear; at least for the time being. I yelled over to Jake as he led the Ikran formation, "I recommend we land about two clicks out and go in on foot." He acknowledged with a nod, and banked downward even closer to the canopy. The rest of us followed suit, hugging the treetops as we approached.

The formation swerved between the great trees of the forest. We flew so close to the canopy that our Ikran's talons occasionally stirred the tops of the trees. I thought to myself that Jake had the right idea to stay low. Unfortunately, they'll probably still detect us at some point. Hopefully we'll be in the forest before they realize we're there. If we stay camouflaged in the trees, we may have the advantage below the canopy. Just maybe.

After we landed, I said to the group, "brothers and sisters," the group gathered around me. I continued, "These humans are going to be different than others we've seen. Their technology will be extremely powerful. Our only advantages are stealth and silence and hopefully we'll get close enough to learn their intentions." Jake added, "We're here to watch, not fight today. Stay low and be ready to run if we must." We all nodded our acknowledgment of Jake's orders.

We dispersed into two groups of three. Wokan led the other two young warriors. I followed Jake and Mi'niri as we traveled toward the colony jumping from limb to limb high in the trees. We were careful to stay under the canopy and off the ground as we approached the base perimeter in the distance. We crossed the final one hundred meter distance, keeping low to the tree limbs, using their leaves as camouflage, until we could clearly see into the compound. We kept ourselves glued to the limbs, with as low a profile as possible, blending with the forest's natural bioluminescence surrounding us. The first glimmers of sunlight had just begun to illuminate Hell's Gate.

The compound below was full of movement. Several large humanoid shaped robotic combat droids moved about the compound, as if they were looking for something. I thought about how this was the last place I ever wanted to see again. Jake whispered to me, "Nathan, are those Man-O-Wars down there?" I nodded, "yes, and based on the design, I'm almost certain they're Mark III models. The latest, as far as I know."

An incredible roar in the sky interrupted our conversation. We looked up to see the sudden appearance of three large, solid gray shuttles that resembled the RDA Valkyrie transport shuttles that used to land here. They weren't approaching slowly like the RDAs' shuttle always did. These shuttles arrived together, flying in a triangular cover formation, as they approached the Hell's Gate tarmac. Several small, unmanned aircraft hovered around them providing additional air cover. The shuttle's engines roared in unison so loud on final approach that all of the wildlife surrounding the complex fled at the sound of them.

The sound was so deafening that we grasped our ears in agonizing pain as the noise decibels hit us in waves along with the pressure change caused by the engines revved up to full power for touch down, I said, "Damn, three of them landing at once, they're definitely treating the base as a hot zone.

As the shuttles hovered over into the compound, I said, "Look," and pointed at the protrusions on the shuttles. "See the additional armaments? Now I'm certain they're military. They're landing in a classic defensive star formation."

Jake said, "How can you be sure they're military from this distance?"

I replied, "Those are Star Valkyries, only the military are allowed to possess them."

We hugged the tree limbs as we watched the huge shuttles set down on the tarmac. While I watched, I counted the Man-O-Wars. I could only account for seven of the twelve we saw land. I wondered where the others were. I don't like it. I suspect they're already on perimeter patrol and that's not good for us. Finally, the noise faded to a more comfortable level as the Star Valkyries' engines powered down and shut off.

Jake interrupted my thoughts. He whispered, "Nathan, are those your people down there?" I nodded, "Ya. That's got to be the expeditionary force." Jake replied, "If it is, how do we safely communicate with them?" I thought for a few seconds as Jake and Mi'niri stared at me, waiting to hear my answer.

After I considered our options, with a frustrated facial expression I said, "Without a radio or other way to signal our intent, there's no way for them to know we're not hostile. I advise we wait until they've secured their landing zone. Any contact sooner could be fatal for us."

We continued to observe the activity in the compound when a thought occurred to me, "By chance do you still have the radio you used to talk to Norm with?" Jake shook his head, "No. Its batteries died a while back." With a frustrated tone I replied, "Too bad. We could have used it. In that case, one of us will just have to walk in there and hope they ask questions before they shoot."

I paused for a moment, and continued, "I don't like it, but I'm probably the best choice for the job." Jake reluctantly nodded in agreement.


	38. Ch37: Escalation

**Chapter 37 – Escalation**

Once the three shuttles had settled to the ground, their gangways dropped down to the tarmac. Several AMP suits came down the gangways onto the tarmac, taking up defensive positions under the shuttles. I said to Jake, "Check out the AMPs. There's no doubt about it. Those AMPs are military grade, 40-millimeter GAU 100 cannons mounted on the right arm, anti-personal .50 caliber MBS-9M Hydra gun mounted on the left arm, with an armored missile rack above the pilot canopy, and it can still use its hands to fire any number of other weapons made for the AMP."

I thought for a moment how readily yet unexpected it was for old knowledge to sometimes leap to the front of your mind. I said with a hint of depression in my voice, "Damn it Jake, I'm sorry about that. I won't even go into the Man-O-Wars capabilities. It's too bloody depressing. If these humans are hostile, we're in trouble…" my voice trailed off. Jake appeared deep in thought as he watched the movement in the compound. Finally he said, "In that case, we're going to have stay clear of these humans until we know whose side they're on."

Mi'niri said, "Jake, Nathan, look over there toward that building," as she pointed toward the Command building. We both scanned the compound. In the distance, we saw a Man-O-War dragging two Na'vi away from the building in a capture net. I couldn't tell if they were dead or just unconscious, but either way it didn't look good for our chances to communicate with them.

Jake said, "I can't be sure from here, but based on the colors of their paint, they look like they're from one of the Plains Clans." Mi'niri agreed and appeared agitated. I said, "Mi'niri, don't do it. We can't do anything for them right now and getting yourself killed won't set them free." With some reluctance she nodded in agreement and relaxed her tense composure despite the frustrated expression on her face.

There was a long silence. Wokan and his warriors had been listening to us intently. All three were among our bravest warriors, but even their faces showed signs of fear at what they witnessed in the compound below. "I'm not sure if we can help the Na'vi down there; but if possible, we will," Jake said as he looked over at Mi'niri.

Once the AMP suits were in position, several infantry soldiers came down the gangways and took up defensive positions as well. Some of them made their way to the various buildings around the compound. Jake said, "Looks like they're venturing into the buildings now. Unfortunately they're not going to find much." I replied, "On the other hand, if they were working with the other humans, you'd think they'd already know there's no one at Hell's Gate." Jake nodded, "That's a good theory, and we're going to have to test it sooner or later."

A few minutes later a large tracked vehicle rolled down the gangway of one of the shuttles and headed for the base perimeter wall. I said, "That looks like an Ajax command tank. If so, it's good we didn't move any closer. It's probably about to turn those inert sentry guns back on. A moment later, the sentry guns started rotating. They were active again and very dangerous, since they were designed to fire at any movement near the compound perimeter.

We continued to watch the events in the compound as they unfolded. I focused my attention on the shuttles, "Jake, look at the shuttle closest to us. That looks like a U.S. flag on the side of it and that's definitely a Chinese flag painted on the other, I can't make out the last one from here." Jake said, 'It's the UN Force for sure. The question is whether of not they'll help us?"

An entourage of humans walked off the U.S. shuttle, Jake and I both nodded at each other. He said, "That looks like a command staff if I ever saw one." I agreed with Jake and as they walked out from under the shuttle in our general direction, Jake and I both noticed a sudden change in the robot's movements to provide protection for the prominent group.

While we looked on, I thought I heard a strangely familiar buzzing sound; it was only for a second. I looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary, but as I turned my attention back to Jake, I caught a glimpse of something metallic out of the corner of my eye hovering in the trees. I realized something was watching us; watch them.

"Jake I think they know we're here. We need to move now," as my voice became more tense. Jake nodded in agreement, just as he saw something in the group of humans that surprised him. As Mi'niri and I both started to crawl along the tree limb toward the forest, Jake didn't move. I whispered with a sense of urgency in my voice, "Jake, we need to go." I motioned to Wokan to withdraw back to the forest.

Jake's demeanor quickly changed and he said in a confused and angry tone, "It can't be. It simply can't be! Neytiri put two arrows straight through his chest and I watched him die!" I said in a frantic tone, "Jake, what the hell are you talking about? We have to move now…" my voice trailed off as I realized what he was talking about.

Standing in the compound surrounded by humans, AMP suits, and Man-O-War combat droids, was none other than Colonel Miles Quaritch wearing an exopack rebreather mask giving orders to his troops. He virtually looked right at us and I saw him give several hand gestures to his troops. If I read them right, he gave the order for a nonlethal capture. Of what or who, was the question. Unfortunately, my gut had already provided me a bloody answer.

I turned to Jake, this time with a mixture of panic and frustration in my voice, "Jake, we're out of time!" It was too late. His facial expression was one of obsessed anger as he readied his bow with a poisoned arrow and stated, "I'll kill that bastard again and again if I must!" Jake made no attempt to conceal himself as he aimed his bow, a compulsive rage exuded from his demeanor. Mi'niri, not sure of the target, had pulled her bow around and began to ready an arrow as well. I looked around for Wokan, but he and his warriors had already retreated into the forest to return to the rendezvous point.

My mind began to rush. My instincts took over with a singular thought to protect Jake, my Olo'eyktan. I pulled my bow around and started to ready an arrow, aiming at the closest combat droid's head, already knowing it had no vulnerability for me to exploit this time.

Just as Jake released his arrow, I felt an incredible wave of pain roll through my back and radiate out through my whole body. It was the sort of pain caused by an intense electrical shock. All three of us had been hit with it at the same time. My nerves froze up, I dropped my bow, and yelped at Jake, "Damn it LT, I told…" my voice was cut off by the shock as all three of us fell from the large tree limb, down toward the forest floor. Just before we hit the ground, a large net caught us. The last thing I recalled before I lost consciousness was the sight of two Man-O-War combat droids closing the net around us, and thinking, "They could have bloody killed us…" The three of us were jumbled together in the net, unable to escape or even speak. A second jolt of electricity surged through our bodies and I felt my consciousness slip away into darkness.

While the Na'vi struggled for there home, the sun rose in a far away land...


	39. Ch38: Thursday Morning

**Chapter 38 – Thursday Morning**

November 6, 2155.

Dawn.

It's Oliver's favorite time of day. He relaxed in the car's plush back seat and enjoyed the view of the New York City skyline while he watched the sunrise over the ocean off to the east. Since the new environmental scrubbers were installed a few years ago, New York's skyline had returned to its past beauty. Picturesque high-rise buildings towered into the sky as if to touch the very face of God.

He glanced to the west and noticed the smoggy air that hovered just beyond the island over the rest of New York City. This island of clean air was just one of the most prominent and near miraculous benefits our contact with Pandora had provided humanity through the refinement of unobtanium. He thought to himself if we played our cards right, perhaps one day every city will have the luxury of clean air again. Oliver leaned back into his seat and just stared out the window as the driver carefully maneuvered through the sky lanes high above Manhattan Island.

Oliver wasn't like most people; he wasn't addicted, nor did he enjoy, life in the augmented world. It was just another name for an old trick, called virtual reality where "reality" could mean nearly anything or nothing at all. He preferred to see the reality of life through his own eyes. Perhaps that's why he was so well suited to his profession. He was a realist.

As he sipped his hot cup of coffee, his phone buzzed. It was an antique smart phone by modern standards, but it belonged to his grandfather so it had sentimental value. He pulled it out and looked at the display. It simply read, "It's been signed. Proceed with the meeting as planned." Oliver sighed as he stared at the message for a moment, then cleared it and tapped the driver on the shoulder and said, "We can stop driving in circles now." The driver nodded and the car swooped down into the city below.

While the car descended toward its destination, Oliver watched the beautiful orb in the sky become obscured by the steel and glass of hundreds of high-rise buildings. All with their own distinct corporate logos, some with massive screens built into the buildings, as advertisements ran a constant barrage of corporate propaganda twenty-four hours a day.

There it was, his destination, one of the largest buildings with the name "Interstellar Vehicles Consortium" boldly written across its mid-section in red neon lights. His vehicle pulled up to the front of the building, at ground level. Oliver always enjoyed an old fashioned walk through the so-called front door.

Oliver said to the driver, "Thanks Quinn. I shouldn't be very long. I'll ring you when I'm ready to go, ok? Quinn replied, "Yes, Mr. Hawthorne." Oliver stepped out of the vehicle and straightened his back. He'd been riding around circling Manhattan for almost two hours waiting for a decision. He was a tall, bald man, just over six feet, with a moderate build. His African skin was dark and his eyes deep brown. His demeanor oozed an aura of confidence. He was the sort of man who understood presence, not just how to use it, but how to manipulate it to meet his needs. It was one of his best talents.

He shook his legs and arms a couple of times to loosen up, his suit and trench coat both slightly wrinkled from the long ride. In reality no one would notice his wrinkled suit this morning. He finished his stretches with a sharp clang of his cane as it struck the ground. He firmly grasped it in his right hand. It was a cane made of Pandoran Sturmbeest bone polished to the extreme with a beautifully cut piece of unobtanium embedded at the cane's crest and an iron tip at its bottom. The unique feature of the cane was that it could actually stand straight up by itself, never falling to the ground, caused by the magnetic relationship between the iron and unobtanium at each end.

Oliver held up the cane and admired it for a moment. He recalled when he volunteered for this assignment. His plan was to pay his respects and honor the memory of an old friend. That was of course until he was read-in to the full investigation. After that, he used his influence and reputation to be named lead investigator. Oliver chuckled as he glanced once more at the cane. He mumbled; "A gift perhaps, but they'll still recognize you on sight my friend. A proper reminder that conspiracy's can't exist in a vacuum." A pleasurable grin crossed his face as he finished, "and now it's time to shed some light on the matter."

Oliver waved at Quinn. He smiled and waved back as he drove away. Oliver paused for a moment, as he looked straight up at the building. He thought it must be at least 150 stories to the top, perhaps more. He realized he'd been here dozens of times, but never in person, not even to visit friends. He walked toward the front entrance. Despite the fact it was a week day morning, the streets saw only a few people coming and going about their business. Most of them connected with the augmented world in some fashion.

It was about fifteen minutes to 8 AM local time. Oliver thought, in the old days these streets would have been overflowing with crowds of people commuting to work, horns, sirens, street musicians and panhandlers. Of course, he hadn't seen anything like that since the RDA sponsored the "Great Urban Renewal of Manhattan," almost a decade ago. He noticed how clean the streets were now but at the same time, he felt something special about Manhattan was gone forever. Oh well, things change. I guess it was about time to go to work.

While he stood there on the sidewalk in front of the building, he noticed the occasional taxi pass by. He began to check each of his pockets. He mumbled, "Damn, I hope I didn't leave them in the back seat; no, there they are." He patted his left pocket and sighed a breathe of relief.

Out of his left pocket he pulled a small dark tented monocle. He placed it up to his right eye where it seemed to just naturally attach to his face. Oliver said to himself, "There's the crowd of busy people the street so desperately misses." In Oliver's right eye he could see the augmented world. The streets were full of people using digital avatars of themselves going about their business, music was in the air, sidewalk venders plied their trades, thousands of conversations at once, and the entire world had a surreal feel to it.

This augmented world possessed a polished and sleek appearance about it and it existed as a personalized overlay to the real world for each user. Advertisements tailored to Oliver's interests appeared on the sides of nearly every building. It had become the way modern business was conducted outside the home, the ultimate nexus between eCommuting and eCommerce if you could afford it.

Next to the front entrance, a virtual sidewalk vender called to him, "Sir, would you care for some news or a magazine this morning?" Oliver walked over to the virtual kiosk and said, "Sure I have a couple of minutes. Give me the international business section." The vender handed him a few pages of paper, it was all virtual reality but in the augmented world, it looked and felt real, even had that old familiar crinkling sound as you turned the pages.

Oliver glanced over the big numbers. He checked RDA and a few other key companies he was used to keeping an eye on. He mumbled to himself, "Looks like RDA stock was on the rise this morning and Offworld Mining, Inc., well it was almost worthless." He chuckled and continued, "Just wait till lunch time." He looked up at the vender and said, "Thanks buddy, and a piece of advice. If you own RDA stock, you might consider letting it go this morning…" he paused to glance at his watch and finished his sentence, "preferably in the next two hours and pick yourself up some Offworld Mining, Inc. shares if you get a chance."

He glanced at his watch again. It was almost time for the meeting and he needed to be going. Oliver tossed the papers back to the vender, along with a few virtual credits. The vender just looked at him with a cynical smirk and said, "Whatever you say fella. Have a good day, ya crazy bastard." Oliver ignored the insult and walked away from the vender as he thought to himself, later today there's going to be a lot of people who'll wish they'd gotten that same advice. He smiled at the thought and mumbled, "I love New York."

Oliver approached the large doorway leading into the lobby of the building. A beautiful African woman appeared just outside of the doorway and she smiled at him. Of course, she only existed in the augmented world as an avatar greeter custom-made based on Oliver's personal preferences. She started to speak, but Oliver had no time for chitchat today, especially with an avatar that was probably being driven by someone less beautiful and possibly not even female. He ignored the greeter and walked straight through her, into the lobby. She turned to watch him walk through the door. The woman frowned as her image faded away as quickly as she'd appeared.

The lobby was large and Spartan compared to what one might expect to see in one of the most powerful mega corporations in history, only rivaled by its biggest client, Resource Development Administration (RDA). The name Interstellar Vehicles Consortium (IVC) was imprinted in a brilliant mosaic of marble and granite on the wall behind the visitor information desk. There were also pictures of some of the interstellar engines they had previously built hung on the walls, as paintings. The lobby was empty with exception of a janitor who was busy mopping the granite floors near the elevators. Despite the office capacity of the building, many employees opted to eCommute to work. It was more convenient and economical for those who didn't actually live in the building.

Oliver surveyed the landscape of the augmented world through his monocle. There were dozens of people constantly coming and going through the lobby, conversations, and even some gossip about the latest fashions by a few ladies and a couple of dapper gentlemen paying attention to the ladies. None of them could see Oliver, since he wasn't logged into the company's secure internal network.

It was common for businesses to keep their networks isolated from the public at all times. Security was of paramount concern. His professional credentials granted him a blanket observer status in any commercially registered network, but once his identity was registered on the corporate network, he'd become visible to everyone.

Oliver walked up to the visitor information desk and a woman appeared behind it in his augmented view. She said, "Good morning sir. Welcome to Interstellar Vehicles Consortium Headquarters. Please register for building access or insert your credentials into the card reader." On most days Oliver would simply register as a visitor, but today's visit would require his full authority under the law. He took out his professional identification and inserted it into the card reader. Then he pressed his right thumb on a small red light next to the reader. It painlessly sampled his DNA, which it scanned and compared to his credentials for authentication. The woman said, "Mr. Hawthorne, I see you have an appointment with us today. I also see you're a preferred member on our access control list for special government use and we've confirmed your status with your home agency. Thank you for your patience. A message appeared on the small console next to the card reader. It read, "ADMINISTRATIVE ACCESS GRANTED."

The woman said, "you may retrieve your credentials now. Thank you Mr. Oliver Hawthorne, alias Mr. Top Hat, your now online with our network. I hope you enjoy your visit with us today." Her image vanished as quickly as it appeared. Oliver took his monocle off for a moment and twisted it counter clockwise once. The monocle separated into two connected lenses, so as to cover both of his eyes, since he was now logged into the network. He put them back over his eyes and immediately noticed people were staring at him.

Oliver's augmented appearance was similar but one might say more stylish than his real world attire. His suit was now firmly pressed, tailored to his measurements, and appeared as fresh as if it had just come out of the cleaners. He was also wearing a black top hat on his head and holding a leather brief case in his left hand. The top hat had a gold strap with a replica of the black and silver quill pen used by U.S. President Benjamin Harrison to sign the Sherman Antitrust Act back in 1890. The pen was stuck inside the strap. Oliver's real items were with him as well, they appeared in the augmented world with a distinct glow about them to set them apart from virtual objects.

The conversations that had been so robust only moments ago faded, as many of the individuals in the lobby recognized Oliver. A silence crept into the lobby with some people simply deciding to leave altogether rather than risk having to speak to him. Oliver looked around and politely said to the ladies and gentlemen in the corner, "Good morning. Please don't let me interrupt your fashion gossip. I personally feel top hats will make a big come back next year." He smiled and tipped his hat to them as he walked over to the building directory on the wall.

While Oliver perused the directory he realized he'd never been here in person. He needed directions to the meeting. With only his eyes he selected from a menu of options in his augmented view. He heard a woman's voice in his mind, similar to the voice of the woman who had greeted him at the desk. She said, "How may I assist you today?" Oliver thought I need directions to the executive conference floor for my 8 o'clock board meeting. The female voice replied, "Of course sir, please follow the virtual arrows and they will lead you to your scheduled destination. Mr. Sung is waiting to greet you on the 124th floor." Suddenly, an orange arrow appeared on the floor in front of him pointing toward the elevators. He began to follow it.

As he walked toward the elevators, an older gentleman who had just arrived shouted, "Good Lord, it's Mr. Top Hat! And he's here in person!" Without warning the man grabbed his chest, as if he couldn't breathe. Oliver stopped in his tracks as he walked in front of the gentlemen and turned to speak to him. Just as he was about to say something the elderly man grasping his chest began to appear in pain and his image flashed several times with an eerie red halo around it and vanished. Oliver just stood there a moment. He mumbled, "I believe that man just had a heart attack." He then said aloud, "Would someone be sure to check on that gentlemen. I think he may require some medical assistance."

The lobby was quiet, but Oliver noticed a change in one of the ladies sitting on a sofa. Her avatar image appeared to freeze for a moment. Then, she stood up and said in a low, nervous tone, "Mr. Top Hat, I just notified the authorities. They're sending someone to check on Mr. Piper." Oliver said, "thank you ma'am. I appreciate your kindness." Oliver could tell the woman was nervous talking to him, so he smiled politely and walked on toward the elevators. Along the way he thought, this is why I don't like to go places in person. He approached the bank of elevators and after a short wait, one of them pinged and opened. With an annoyed look on his face, Oliver stepped inside. He mumbled, "I hate elevators. They make me feel so damned claustrophobic." Oliver's facial expression grimaced as the doors closed.


	40. Ch39: Confab

**Chapter 39 – Confab**

Meanwhile aboard the Dark Miner…

Charlie stood silently on the bridge as he stared out the window. Laura, his loyal second-in-command, glanced up at him from her operations console while she finalized the Avatar connections with the other ships. She thought to herself that it's a complex man that can stand by and watch a world with such reverence; while at the same time he plots strategies to exploit it. He has to be a man with unique strengths in order to do what must be done to save Earth.

His back to her, his hands clinched behind him as usual. He stood like a statue as he stared out the large windows at the endless rainforest beyond, while the daylight rapidly conquered the dark forest. Charlie commented, "It's going to be a beautiful day, I think." Despite his upbeat words, his demeanor betrayed his anxiousness as he waited, and it was true, he was waiting for something to arrive.

A few moments later, two holographic images appeared on the bridge behind Charlie. The first image that appeared was a middle-aged male with red hair, dressed in an expensive suit with a bow tie. Laura surmised he had the demeanor of an individual with a great deal of book knowledge, but not much real-world experience.

The other image appeared a few seconds later. This image was a female, her age was more difficult to ascertain, but her demeanor exuded the sort of veteran experience only hard lessons could provide. Her hair was long and jet black tied into a French braid. Her figure was athletic, and her dress was pragmatic for a mercenary captain. She wore faded leather, high-heeled boots, and an attitude necessary to keep the respect of her crew.

Charlie turned around to face them and said, "Good day Captains. Welcome to Pandora Ute, Thaddeus and I have been looking forward to your arrival and might I say, I love what you've done with your hair, very nice." He grinned as he finished the sentence. Ute responded, "Thanks for the kind words Charlie, but it's just an avatar image but you already knew that." A cynical smirk crossed her face. She continued, " We anticipate making Pandora orbit in just under nine hours."

There was a short pause, and she continued, "Our long range sensors have mapped Pandora orbit and all manmade objects. Your equipment has all been accounted for, along with some space junk and the old RDA low orbit imagery satellites. The one thing we didn't find were the inert U.N. communication satellites. Can I assume you've already dealt with them? Charlie replied, "You can."

Laura had been listening to the conversation from her console. When she heard Charlie tell Ute that they'd dealt with the inert Augustine Station satellites she wondered what he meant. She knew for certain they'd done no such thing. As a matter of fact she recalled how Charlie reacted to the odd musical tune, "The World Turned Upside Down." Which occurred just before the Dark Miner monitored the deorbit of the satellites. Laura was beginning to understand that Charlie knew a lot more than he was telling.

As the group continued to discuss matters related to operations, transport, and support from home, Laura started to put it together. She sat back down at her console and pulled up the log of the twelve unidentified objects which Charlie had ordered no recon-mission to investigate. Now she was certain he had a plan and for some reason she wasn't surprised. In fact she found herself more or less comforted by the notion. She cleared the log and refocused her attention on the meeting.

Charlie turned to Ute and said, "One very important question. Were you successful at getting the special ordnance I arranged for you?" Ute placed one hand on her hip, tapped her foot for a second, and finally replied, "What do I look like, an amateur? Of course I made the rendezvous. I've got eight precious little T.O.R.O.s that can't wait to meet Pandora if the bitch gets rowdy."

Thaddeus asked, "What's a T.O.R.O?" Ute interjected before Charlie could speak, "Honey, it's a whole lot of whoop-ass in one easy to deliver package. T.O.R.O. stands for Thermobaric Orbital Release Ordnance. Didn't anyone ever tell you that military pinheads love a good acronym?" Ute giggled at her own joke while Thaddeus took a moment to contemplate what she'd just said. He finally stuttered a response. "I've read about them, they're the same as a nuke without the radioactive fallout. Right?" Ute replied, "right-o, someone give the boy a blue ribbon," as she laughed.

Charlie interrupted with a serious tone, "Enough jokes, people. Ute, I will upload target coordinates as soon as you make orbit. By then, I should know exactly where the threats are located and their strength. Also, we've had some trouble hacking those low orbit imagery satellites, have your people give it a shot." Ute nodded, "No problem."

Thaddeus asked, "Is it really necessary to bomb the natives? We've only had one attack on the Fortune Miner and we easily sent them packing with their tails between their legs." Charlie replied sharply, "It's important to be ready if it's needed. However, the target I'm interested in has nothing to do with the blue savages." Thaddeus asked, "Then who are we targeting?" Charlie replied, "Humans are the target." Thaddeus' inquisitive nature suddenly fell silent.

Charlie continued, "There are human military forces other than our own on Pandora. It's a U.N. military force. I don't know all the details yet but I can tell you my people are among them. With regard to the natives, I see no need to waste resources on them unless it becomes necessary." Charlie paused for a second as a cruel grin crossed his face, "I'm sure they'll be watching when we deal with the other humans and what they see will scare the hell out of them for a very long time." Ute and Thaddeus without a word to add just nodded in agreement.

After a few moments of silence, with only the noise of the bridge in the background, Charlie said, "Ok people we have work to do, so lets get on with it." Both Ute and Thaddeus nodded, and their images faded away. Laura turned around and returned to her console but her mind was busy putting the rest of Charlie's puzzle together, and it was brilliant she thought.

After the images faded, Charlie turned back around to stare out the windows at the forest beyond. He mumbled, "The world has most certainly been turned upside down it seems." He began to pace back and forth in front of the window as he considered his next decision.

Finally, Charlie turned and walked down the stairs onto the bridge floor where Laura and the others worked. He said, "Laura, I'm sure you were listening so you're well aware that we have uninvited guests on Pandora." She replied, "Yes sir, I think your plan is about to come to its climax." Charlie taken aback by her comment replied, "You do?" Laura said, "It's obvious that you've had a man in their ranks since the beginning, probably more than one. What I've figured out is that the music was a message. Am I on track?" Charlie with a pleasant grin on his face, replied, "I do believe you are; nicely done. This makes my next decision even easier. As soon as the Black Jack arrives in orbit, I plan to move upstairs and leave you in command here. You ok with that?"

Laura just sat there, speechless at first. She had a mixture of astonishment and excitement on her face all at once; while she made an attempt at keep her discipline. She finally replied, "I'm good with it sir. Thank you!" Charlie said, "Excellent. I have the utmost confidence in you. You'll do just fine," he smiled at her. The bridge crew applauded the decision as each member individually congratulated her on her promotion to Captain. Again Charles grinned, as the crew's actions were further evidence of the respect Laura had earned among her crewmates.

Charlie started to walk toward the door; "I'll be in my office if you need me." Just before he reached the hatch, he stopped in his tracks. He spun around and walked back toward the comms officer. He said, "Move over," as Charlie sat down at the console. Laura walked over to observe. Charlie typed a set of alphanumeric codes into the console. When finished he stood back up and motioned to the operator to retake their sit. Charlie said, "I want you to begin transmitting this data set as tonal pings on this specific frequency." Charlie selected the frequency on the console for the operator. The officer asked, "How long do you want us to transmit it, sir?" Charlie stood there a moment as he stared into space, obviously considering the question. Finally he said, "Send it until you get a response; any response, and when you do I want to know about it immediately. No exceptions." The young officer swallowed hard, nodded, and did as he was told.

Charlie grinned at Laura and said, "It never hurts to have contingencies in place. Go ahead and deploy our unmanned drones for reconnaissance around Hell's Gate." Laura replied, "I'll take care of it, sir." Without another word, Charlie casually strolled off the bridge.


	41. Ch40: Mr Top Hat Makes a House Call

**Chapter 40 – Mr. Top Hat Makes A House Call**

The elevator ride up to the executive conference floor was boring. No matter how far technology advances, elevator music still sucks, thought Oliver. As he rode the elevator, it stopped several times to let employees and residents of the building on and off. With an annoyed look on his face, Oliver wondered when it was that architects decided to let families live where they worked. It seemed like a good idea until you allow a five-year-old to ride the elevator unsupervised. His thoughts were interrupted by the ping of the elevator as it announced, _"142__nd__ floor, Executive Offices and Conference Center."_

The doors opened, and a blue-hued light covered the entrance to the floor. Oliver's professionalism returned as he mumbled, "This is where things get interesting." He stepped off the elevator into the blue-hued light. The field of light scanned his augmented presence, and announced, _"Welcome Senior Regulator Hawthorne to the Interstellar Vehicles Consortium Executive Floor."_ Oliver hadn't taken two more steps before a gray-haired Asian gentlemen stepped from around the corner and said with a nervous tone, "Good morning, Mr. Top Hat. Welcome to IVC headquarters. It's an honor that you've come in person to visit us today. My name is George Sung and I've been assigned to assist you with anything you need during your visit." As the elevator doors closed behind him, Oliver replied, "I wanted some fresh air this morning." Mr. Sung wasn't sure how to reply so he remained silent with a respectfully composure about him.

Oliver paused for a few seconds and then continued, "Mr. Sung, I'm here to attend the 8AM board meeting. Please point the way, and I'd love a hot cup of Joe, black with two sugars, if you don't mind." Mr. Sung puzzled for a second on what exactly a "cup of Joe" was but rationalized it must be coffee; at least he hoped it was. Mr. Sung quickly pointed Oliver in the direction of the conference room to be used for the morning meeting. Oliver proceeded down the hallway to the double doors. The doors were made of marble, like a majority of the furnishings throughout this floor. It was a symbol of power and excess he thought, but power sometimes needs to look the part, as he glanced down at his cane.

He stood there a few moments and finally used the end of his cane to tap on the door, which immediately opened. Over the intercom a male voice said, "I apologize sir, we don't usually have VIPs attend in person." The doors swung open to reveal a large dark room, with an oval conference table at its center. As he walked into the room, Mr. Sung caught up with him and handed him a cup of coffee. Oliver nodded and said, "I appreciate it. You can wait outside." As he proceeded into the room the lights automatically came on and the doors closed behind him.

The conference table appeared to be made of obsidian, he thought, now that's what I call over the top, but nice nonetheless. He approached the table and ran his fingers across the its smooth surface as he walked around to the speaker's podium. Around the table were seats for each of the major stakeholders in IVC. The positions read: Lockheed-Grumman, Virgin X Space Corporation, China Aerospace Industries, IBM-Apple Alliance, Asia-Pacific Technologies Administration, Levant-Israeli Aerospace Industries, and finally the chairman's seat read Resource Development Administration. In the center of the conference table a three dimensional digital clock appeared. It began counting down from one minute. It was almost 8AM.

As Oliver looked around the room he noticed there were no windows, only dark screens encircling the room, with three seats for each of the companies represented. He pulled a small silver device from his pocket. Held it up to his eyes as the seconds counted down on the clock in the center of the table. It was round and flat, with only one black button on it. Oliver thought it was a nice design for a device with a single purpose, avatar jamming. Since it was real, it had a glow about it that made it look even more interesting, like a small shiny object. He placed it on the table and pressed the black button. It immediately began to pulsate a glowing red hue. Oliver pulled out a handkerchief from his back pocket and laid it across the device, covering it up.

The clock read 10 seconds, suddenly the room lights dimmed somewhat, dark screens began to light up one by one, each displaying a different aspect of the financial markets from each of the represented companies perspectives, along with the latest headline news. The clock reached 0:00 and vanished. It was replaced with a rotating three-dimensional logo, "IVC, Engines For A New Era of Human Exploration."

As Oliver watched, in the corners of the room there were sparkles of light, and avatars appeared for each member of the board. Men and women alike, some older than others, all with an air of power and arrogance about them walked up to the conference table and sat down. He glanced over at where the RDA representatives should appear and only saw a small sparkle of light and then nothing appeared. Oliver thought, those geeks said it would work as he glanced down at the handkerchief. I guess it pays sometimes to hold a key to the patent office.

A disembodied voice began to introduce each member of the board in order of seniority. Oliver stood there politely waiting for all of them to be introduced before he spoke. Finally, the voice announced, _"Introducing Mr. Oliver Hawthorne, alias Mr. Top Hat, Senior Regulator with the International Interstellar Regulatory Authority (IIRA)."_ Suddenly everyone in the room was staring at him as if they'd just realized he was present.

Oliver started, "Ladies and gentlemen." He glanced at the empty seats the RDA representatives should be at, but they were empty, just as he'd planned. He continued, "I have four minutes past eight on my clock. Unfortunately my schedule for today is full. Therefore, I'm not inclined to wait for RDA to bless us with their presence, and I know you have plenty of business to attend to this morning. Today's agenda has been adjusted.

Oliver paused a moment as he watched his audience's attention grow more uncomfortable. He continued, "I am declaring a regulatory intervention at this time. Computer, please accept override, clear the previous agenda, engage communications and physical lock down for this conference room and prepare to accept new agenda." The computer replied_, "Senior Regulator Hawthorne, your access is authenticated. Your directives have been validated and are within your parameters of authority. Processing your commands at this time. Video and audio recorders are off. Virtual private connections secured. Please provide your agenda."_ At that moment all of the screens encircling the room went dark, the words "NO SIGNAL" appeared on all of them, simultaneously.

Oliver glanced around the room as each of the board members just stared at him, waiting. Some were impressed, others nervous, a few sat perfectly still with cold expressions on their faces. He pulled a card of glowing digital data from his virtual briefcase, and inserted it into the reader at the speaker's podium. The computer said _"agenda accepted."_

Before Oliver could speak, a pale gray haired gentleman said, "Mr. Hawthorne, it's highly irregular for you to come here in person, so I suspect this agenda isn't intended for public consumption?" Oliver grinned and said, "How very perceptive of you, Jacob, and you'd be correct. I certainly hope that your respective companies have secured your avatar transmissions an your end." Each of the various members nodded. Oliver continued, "This matter has to do with RDA and Pandora. As you all know, a very touchy subject in the public opinion polls these days." The board members suddenly erupted in a wave of whispers amongst themselves.

Oliver tapped his cane on the floor twice, both times with a loud clang. The room became quiet again and looked towards him. He said, "now that you have the agenda, I have a few comments to make and then I'll leave you to make your own decisions." The board members sat for a few moments reading the agenda in silence. Their faces expressed a combination of confusion, nervousness, and some overt fear. Oliver thought this was where the instinct for self-preservation kicked in.

Oliver continued, "Ladies and gentlemen, if you were not, you are now aware of the events that transpired on Pandora in 2154 as well as more recent developments since then, some of which are not in the public domain as of yet. I've come here today to give you advance notice that RDA's exclusive mining rights to Pandora will be revoked this morning at 10 o'clock Eastern Standard Time."

As Oliver articulated the time of the upcoming event, there was a noticeable gasp from several members of the board. He continued, "The Regulatory Authority has reviewed both the public domain, sensitive data related to the 2154 case, as well as more recent intrigues since 2154 which are in the midst of a full investigation. Based on this accumulated evidence, as well as cooperation from former RDA employees, we see no choice. We have found RDA in breach of its IIRA trusteeship for the safe development of Pandora's resources." Oliver paused a moment to take a sip of coffee and let his words sink in.

He continued, "My superiors and I felt you deserved an advance copy of the decision and a heads-up as to who we've deemed appropriate to receive the IIRA exclusive mining rights for Pandora. That would be Offworld Mining Incorporated." Again the board members gasped, this time several standing up as if to protest, when Oliver motioned and said, "Let me finish! You will have plenty of time to make noise when you begin your deliberations." With a firm commanding voice Oliver said, "Now sit down." The board members appeared agitated, but sat down and continued to listen.

Oliver took another sip of coffee and continued, "Offworld Mining has received considerable negative media and publicity of late, so I can understand your concerns. However, after today's simultaneous announcements by the IIRA, US, Chinese, Russian, EU, and UN authorities among others, Offworld Mining's public as well as financial situation will be significantly improved." This time, the board members only stared at him. Not a sound could be heard anywhere in the room.

Oliver grinned, "Offworld Mining has been cooperating with International authorities since 2150, when its internal security uncovered a conspiracy by certain members of RDA to steal its newest space miner prototypes. Prototypes that had been developed for both space and low-gravity atmospheric mining missions." Oliver looked around the room and noticed the anxiety level in the room had gone up. Almost every member of the board had a hint of stress and nervousness plastered across their faces, except for Jacob.

He continued, "Folks, I'm not here to point fingers, or make accusations. Only to say that we know the two space miners are on Pandora now. How they got there is not the point of this meeting." Oliver glared over to where the RDA representatives would normally be seated. He continued, "We understand the situation and have decided not to investigate IVC's complicity, at this time. I stress' at this time."

Again, he paused to take a sip of coffee, "this is some really good coffee. Too bad I'm the only one here that can enjoy it. Now, on to the subject at hand, Offworld Mining will require a partner such as the Interstellar Vehicles Consortium in order to execute its new mining contract under the rules of its trusteeship. It's not the IIRA's place to dictate such things, but we felt it necessary to allow this leak to occur in order to ensure a smooth and timely transition of resources. That is, of course, if you decide in favor of a partnership. All I can add to that is a reliable rumor that Offworld Mining would consider a partnership with IVC in their best interests, considering it would take years for them to build their own engines. Engines that IVC already has built and ready for use for such business." Oliver chuckled under his breath.

He looked around the room and glanced at his watch as he thought it's been almost ten minutes, not bad. He continued to speak, "Ladies and gentlemen, that's the situation. In about one hour and fifty minutes the rest of the world will know what you know. Many of the sensitive details of our investigation are being leaked to the press as I speak. It's your decision, but my advice is that profit always trumps scandal, and Earth needs unobtanium now."

The room was quiet as it waited for something more to be said. Oliver finished his coffee, looked around the room, and said, "I'm afraid my work here is done. The rest is up to you. Computer, Regulatory Intervention has concluded." Just as he finished his sentence, he reach for his handkerchief, grabbed it with his right hand, depressing the button under the cloth, and placed the device inside the handkerchief back in his pocket. The computer replied_, "Regulatory Intervention has now ended." _The darkened screens encircling the room all returned to life.

Oliver noticed in the corner there was once again a sparkling effect. He turned to the room, took one last survey of the board members, and said, "Jacob, I look forward to seeing you at the Master's Tournament again this year." Oliver grinned and just as he started to turn toward the door Jacob said, "Well played, Oliver, well played." Oliver paused a second, glanced back at Jacob, held up his cane so Jacob could clearly see it, and then tipped his hat with the cane. About that time, three more avatars appeared, all of them RDA representatives. They quickly walked up to the conference table.

One of the representatives Oliver recognized as Terry Chu, RDA's new Chairman of the Board, who said with an irate tone, "What the hell was that! We've been trying to connect for over ten minutes…" he stopped in mid-sentence when he recognized Mr. Top Hat standing at one end of the table near the door. With a condescending yet firm tone Oliver stated, "Three points; One, your late! Two, every decision comes with consequences. Three, sometimes it pays to show up in person." Terry and his associates just stood there in silence, stunned that someone would address them in such a tone.

Terry mustered his voice and said, "Do you realize who…" Oliver interrupted him, "Yes! I know exactly who you are Chairman Chu." A confident cheek-to-cheek grin appeared on Oliver's face while he stared directly into Terry Chu's eyes. Terry swallowed hard, whatever words he'd planned to utter were gone.

Finally Oliver chuckled and said, "I hope our next little chat is more productive. Good Day, Chairman."

With a hint of anger encroaching on Oliver's demeanor he walked straight through several avatar images toward the door. Oliver loudly exclaimed, "Open the door, I'm finished here." He glanced back at the board members, tipped his hat to them, and said, "I suspect you all have a lot of business to discuss in a very short time. Good day to you all." Oliver walked out of the conference room with a self-confident strut in his stride, clanging his cane with every step.

The roar of arguments and accusations immediately sprang up from the conference room as the doors closed behind him. Mr. Sung had patiently waited on Oliver with a nervous demeanor about him. Oliver handed him the empty coffee cup, removed his dark spectacles, and gave him a quick wink with one eye. Mr. Sung stood silent as he glared toward the conference room, a worried expression on his face at what he'd heard before the doors closed. While Oliver walked toward the elevator he said aloud, "It's a marvelous sound the truth makes when it's thrust into the daylight." He chuckled at the notion as he pressed the down arrow on the elevator.


	42. Ch41: Detained

**Chapter 41 – Detained**

On the tarmac of Hell's Gate…

I awoke. I didn't open my eyes at first. I've never actually been a prisoner before, but during my military years I'd received plenty of training in the subject. One of the lessons was to keep quiet and pretend to be unconscious if that's how the enemy left you. The idea was to discern all you could about your environment with your other senses before you allowed your captors to know you're conscious.

I laid there and listened to my surroundings for some time. I felt the ropes against my back and the heavy weight of at least one, maybe two, bodies pinning me down. I felt a calm breath on the left side of my neck. I could hear the mechanical noises of one or two Man-O-Wars very close to us and the sounds of several AMP suits moving about in the distance. The ground felt like concrete so we were probably on the tarmac I thought.

I slowly opened my eyes, to find several bright lights shining down on me. It hurt my eyes at first, but as they adjusted, I could tell the sky above was dark. I recalled that it was almost dawn when they captured us. At first I couldn't focus on the lights, but my vision finally cleared and it became obvious there were four large floodlights pointed down over us. They were shoulder-mounted floodlights built into the Man-O-War armor. Two of the behemoth machines were looking right down at us. They also controlled the restraining rope.

It occurred to me that I'd argued against nonlethal weapons for this model, in favor of more deadly options. I was glad now I lost that argument. Of course, I never imagined I'd be held prisoner by one of them either. Funny, some of my former colleagues would call it karma coming back around to bite me in the ass. I call it bloody damned awkward.

As I focused on my situation, I realized the breath on my neck was coming from Mi'niri. Her head was laying on my left shoulder, her eyes closed, her breath warm against my neck. Jake was pinned between us; his body crossed my mid-section, which made my breathing less than comfortable with his and Mi'niri's weight on top of me. The two Na'vi boys were unconscious as well, one on each side of me. The rope kept us all tightly held down and unable to move. From my vantage point, I could only see the back of Jake's head. He was probably still unconscious. I was pretty sure he caught the brunt of the shock weapon.

I whispered to Mi'niri, "Wake up. Open your eyes if you can hear me, Mi'niri."

I used my head to bump her chin a few times to wake her and she responded. Her eyes opened suddenly. Her breath became more frantic on my neck, as she struggled against the ropes, and whispered with a confused and frustrated expression on her face, "Where are we? What happened to us, Nathan?" I replied, "The humans captured us. Stop struggling. The more you struggle, the tighter the ropes will become." She finally stopped struggling, but not before the ropes tightened to the point where I could feel them starting to cut into my back.

I could hear a human speaking in English somewhere just outside of my view. He said, "This is Bravo Two. Advise command some of the prisoners are conscious. Awaiting further instructions." As I listened, I whispered what was said to Mi'niri, who didn't understand very much English. "He's telling his leader we're awake and he's asking for instructions on what to do with us." She just nodded as fear permeated her eyes. I tried to keep a confident expression, but I couldn't hide my own fear either. I knew exactly how easy it would be for just one of these mechanical monsters to deal all of us a deathblow.

Suddenly, I felt movement from Jake. Despite his head being pressed into the back of one of the young Na'vi by the ropes, he managed to turn his head to look toward Mi'niri and I. He whispered, "Nathan, Mi'niri, are you awake?" In unison we both replied, "Yes." Jake said, "I'm sorry I got you both into this mess," as he struggled against the ropes. Both Mi'niri and I again said in unison "struggling makes the ropes tighter."

Jake stopped his struggling and said, "Nathan, why did you call me LT?" Mi'niri and I looked at one another and back at Jake, I replied, "LT?" I thought for a moment longer and continued, "I have no idea. I don't remember saying it." Jake had a puzzled look on his face and decided it could have been the shock or just his imagination. Either way, they had bigger problems to deal with now as Jake glared up at the mechanical beasts standing over us.

A few moments passed and I said, "It's already after dark, so it's only a matter of time before Niysia and Neytiri come looking for us." Jake replied with a since of profound worry in his voice, "I know." As we lay there contemplating our situation, we could hear the distinct sound of boot steps on the tarmac getting closer, as several humans approached.

We listened, the entourage got closer with every step; the voices became clearer. They spoke in English, some of them with heavy accents, English obviously not their native tongue. One of them stated, "Sir, we've secured the perimeter, the engineers say they'll have the fusion generator repaired within a few hours and all patrols have reported in. No further TIC's reported; so far the rest of the natives have kept their distance just observing us." I recalled the terminology. TIC stood for 'troops in contact.' In other words, Niysia and the rest of the clan were still safe, for now.

As the group of humans walked up to us, they looked down as if to survey their catch. I felt humbled by the notion that I was the prey caught in a trap of my own design.

A strong, commanding voice with a mild southern accent shouted, "Chief Bieda, are we on Earth?" The Chief replied, "No, sir." The strong voice continued, "and we're off the damned ship for a while, right?" The Chief replied with a grin on his face as he began to pull a small cylinder from his front pocket, "that would be affirmative, sir." The strong voice paused a moment, put his right hand out toward the Chief with his palm open as if he expected something.

The commanding voice continued, "I'm not aware of any regulation that prohibits the enjoyment of a good Cuban cigar on this rock." The Chief placed the cylinder in his hand and said, "Colonel, I think you'd deploy to the far side of Hell if you thought they'd allow a good cigar." The whole group chuckled under their breathe as the Colonel slipped his exopack up on his forehead, stuck a half smoked stub of a cigar in his mouth, and resealed his exopack. He said, "Until we get in the buildings, I'll just have to settle for the flavor." It was obvious in his facial expression he had been craving the tobacco for some time. He continued, "Now, why don't we take care of some business," as he stood over the mass of blue flesh laid out on the tarmac.

While the humans looked us over, I gazed up at them. I could tell they weren't regular military. They handled themselves more like Special Forces. Their demeanor and military discipline spoke volumes about what to expect. I knew, in the back of my mind, that this encounter would either turn out very good or very bad for us. In my experience, there was no room for a middle ground when you deal with men and women of this caliber.

The Colonel said, "Chief, go ahead and have the colors raised. According to the brief, RDA called this place Hell's Gate. What kind of damned name is that for a base? It sounds bad for morale." He glanced back at his officers and continued, "ladies and gentlemen, any objections to the name Fort LeMay?" The officer's gave a respectful nod, as the Colonel's executive officer, Major Nigel Zuberi commented, "Sounds like a proper choice, sir."

I thought you only named forts after deceased people. Then it occurred to me that I am dead, as far they know.

Chief Bieda said, "Colonel, Sigma team just reported in. The uplink with RDA's old satellite network has been established. As expected the adversary attempted to gain control, but the encryption installed by the Augustine team appears to have kept them out. They'll have the terminal synched with the superluminal comms system within three to four hours." The Colonel nodded and replied, "Very well. Hopefully by then the reactor will be back online as well." He turned to Major Zuberi, "Major, take care of our status report to command." The Major replied, "Of course, sir. I'll see to it."

The Major asked with a sorrowful tone in his voice, "Sir, how shall we list…" he paused as if to give some unspoken reverence to his question, and continued, "How shall we list LeMay's command, sir?" After a moment of silence, the Colonel replied with some grimace in his voice, "for the station, all hands lost. As for the ground personnel, list them as missing in action, for now."

After a short pause he continued, "I had hoped we would have picked up the distress beacon once we made landfall, but I guess it wasn't meant to be." He paused again, to reflect on the words, then finished his train of thought, "I'm sure Nathan did the best he could. I never met the man, but the Chief knew him and has often commented he wasn't the sort to go out without a fight." The Colonel swallowed hard, and with a determined tone in his voice said, "As it was conveyed to me, we have a promise to keep." Major Zuberi and the other officers nodded and said in unison, "Understood sir."

Jake and I listened to the conversation, and we just stared at each other. Jake held a glint of anger in his expression as he realized the man giving the orders was none other than Colonel Miles Quaritch, the very man he killed over a year ago in the desperate battle with RDA to protect the Tree of Souls. Jake, despite his anger, stayed quiet. Mi'niri, although unable to understand much of the English could tell by Jake's anxiety, and mine, that our fates were uncertain.

As the group stood over us, a monotone voice from one of the Man-O-Wars said, "Sir, three of the five prisoners are awake. They were whispering amongst themselves in their native language before your group walked up." The Colonel looked up at the powerful machine and said, "Good report, soldier." He looked back down at us with a grin on his face. My eyes made contact with him for the first time. I instinctively hissed in frustration, and then both Jake and Mi'niri echoed my hiss with their own. Jake bore his teeth with anger and frustration in his eyes and tried again to struggle against the ropes with no success.

The ropes grew a little tighter as the two young Na'vi boys started to awaken.


	43. Ch42: Getting Reacquainted

**Chapter 42 – Getting Reacquainted**

The Colonel glanced over at Chief Bieda, "Chief, these are some very pissed off kitties, and despite our orders, I have my doubts about asking them for help. Based on the reports, we humans aren't too popular around here. Too bad none of LeMay's people survived. I would have liked more details on the fate of the other Miles Quaritch." The Chief chuckled and said, "The report indicated…" He was suddenly interrupted by a loud hiss from Jake. Jake spoke out in English with a condescending tone, "My mate and I killed the arrogant bastard!"

Suddenly, all of the humans just stood in silence for a moment with surprised expressions on their faces. It dawned on them that one of the Na'vi prisoners understood every word they'd said, and had been listening to them the whole time. After a few seconds, the Colonel said, "Interesting. You must be one of the Na'vi who learned English during Dr. Augustine's time on Pandora." Jake replied, "Not exactly, I'm Jake Sully!"

Silence permeated the air, finally broken by Colonel Quaritch, with a deep breath, he said, "I count five fingers instead of four. That makes you special. It means you're the man, I mean Na'vi that killed me!" Some of the humans behind Quaritch chuckled at the statement. A long pause settled over the group as Quaritch and Jake just stared at one another. The Colonel's facial expression turned very serious. He remained perfectly still with his gaze locked on Jake for almost a minute. The only sounds I heard were off in the distance. Without warning the Colonel took one step forward and leaned over closer to Jake. He said with a stern forceful tone, "good job soldier!" Jake was taken aback by his words as confusion swept across his face. Mi'niri and I both watched the exchange, just as confused.

The Colonel looked up at the Man-O-Wars and ordered "Guards, activate cage mode for your memory rope!" Both of them answered, "Yes sir!" A few seconds later, the ropes loosened to form a 5-meter wide, by 5-meter long, by 5-meter tall rope cage. Finally, we were able to standup.

I whispered to Mi'niri, as I tried to show some courage in my demeanor, "please take care of our young Na'vi friends while I stand with Jake before the humans. With Eywa's Blessing, maybe he can convince them to release us." With a mix of fear and deviance in her eyes she glanced up at the massive Man-O-Wars. She slowly nodded her consent and walked over to speak with the two young Na'vi boys, both huddled in the corner, occasionally glancing up at the mechanical beasts, with utter terror in their faces.

I was confident she would keep them calm so I turned around to find Jake with his back to me. He was still staring at Colonel Quaritch, his demeanor hostile but somewhat restrained. I walked to his right side, and stopped just behind him, so there would be no mistake among the humans as to who they needed to open a dialogue with.

Jake surveyed Quaritch from head to toe. The man was dressed sharply wearing an exopack rebreather and the distinctive Green Beret denoting him as U.S. Army Special Forces. Jake said, with a snarl in his tone, "the last time I saw you alive, you had two arrows in your chest." Jake's body language was as hostile as I'd ever seen. He stood there as if he was inviting Quaritch to another fight to the death. The Colonel replied, "Actually son, your arrow this morning almost made a repeat performance. However, you and I have never met, but I've read your jacket and the intelligence reports we have on the events that took place here in 2154."

The Colonel reached over to Chief Bieda and motioned for the halo tablet he'd been taking notes on. The Chief handed it over and the Colonel punched several virtual keys on its screen and waited a couple of seconds. Finally, a photo-image came up and he held up the tablet next to his face so Jake could see it and said, "Does this look familiar?" The image was a picture of himself with three distinct scars on the side of his head. He took a deep breath and removed his beret and exopack so his whole face was visible. Jake could clearly see this Colonel Quaritch had no scars on his face at all. After a few seconds, the Colonel put his beret and exopack back on.

Jake didn't utter a word for several moments while he contemplated how this could happen. Then he said, "It's simple. You're a clone that RDA created and sent back here to finish whatever twisted plan they've started with these mining ships." The Colonel grinned at Jake, "That's a pretty good theory you have there, son. However, I'm afraid you're missing a few important details."

The Colonel waited in silence for a moment while he allowed Jake to consider his words. "Before today, I'd never stepped foot on Pandora, I'm the real Colonel Miles Quaritch, born and raised in Florida, married with three children, and a distinguished military career in the United States Army, Special Forces attached to the United Nations Space Command. The man you killed had none of that. He had some of my memories but he was a clone, created without my knowledge or the United States government's permission." He paused again while he observed Jake's facial expression morph from anger into a mixture of frustration and confusion.

After a few more seconds, the Colonel continued, "Our Intel has suspected for several years that RDA created a number of unauthorized clones from stolen genetic material for use off-world. That's all the background I could get out of the Intel Spooks when I learned I had a doppelganger out here. So as you're well aware, my alter ego ended up here in command of RDA's security forces. It was presumably implanted with copied memories. Over time, the clone developed its own distinct personality. In effect, a completely different person, capable of making its own choices for better or worse."

I whispered to Jake in Na'vi, "it could be true, Jake. When I lived on Earth, rumors of illegal genetic experiments by RDA were common among the science community. Of course there wasn't any evidence, so I never really believed it until now." Jake's composure relaxed as he considered what Quaritch had just told him. He looked around at the men and machines surrounding us. With a serious and composed tone he said, "All right, if what you say is true, why are you on Pandora and what are your intentions, Colonel?"

The Colonel handed the halo tablet back to Chief Bieda. "Our original orders were to report to the Chief of Operations on Augustine Science Station for duty in support of Operation Vigilant Castle. The details were classified. We would have been briefed, I'm sure, if things had gone according to plan." I thought, indeed that was the plan. The details were and still are classified and that wouldn't change. The General's words still rung true in my ears "need to know, it must be need to know only," and no one here needed to know, at least not yet and perhaps never, depending on how this conversation ended.

Jake glanced back at me for a brief moment. I saw something different in his eyes. I thought those were the eyes of a former Marine who might have just reconciled present events with some old war stories he'd heard about military missions that carried the word 'Castle' in their title. Legend had it, the missions were deemed vital to national security and only special volunteers were offered such missions. This was in part, because the odds of being lost in space or left in an unmarked grave were very high, but those were just stories. Jake however had been Force-Recon in the Marines and I'm sure he'd heard those stories, but he'd never actually seen living proof.

The word 'Castle' was used to imply the ancient definition of a fortified stronghold. In other words, it meant no surrender, no retreat. Publicly, it was a forbidden military strategy and illegal according to virtually every human rights treaty written during the past 100+ years. Nonetheless, old soldiers told tales about its use, usually in conjunction with some sort of highly classified, extremely dangerous operation. The kind of operation a government would deny ever existed if it were exposed. The stories had always been second-hand, and Jake had just thought it lived in the realm of drunken rumor and gossip, until now.

In only a few short minutes, Jake's view of Nathan had changed. He recalled how Nathan had felt about Pandora when he arrived, yet he'd apparently volunteered to make the ultimate sacrifice, an oath he kept even after he learned of his mother's death. Jake finally understood the full measure of Nathan's last words before his human body died, 'Who Dares, Wins.' He had been determined to survive and when he fell in love with Niysia and became one of the people, his determination became more than just orders.

The Colonel had given his words a few moments to sink in. He continued, "However, since the space station was destroyed and Hell's Gate lost, our primary mission was a failure. Thus our secondary objectives have taken effect and they're straight forward: take control of Hell's Gate, establish a forward operating base, conduct search and rescue for friendly survivors, gather tactical intelligence against any enemy forces, and make peaceful contact with the indigenous population. Simple enough. Once that's accomplished, we hold our position and wait for reinforcements."

He paused for a moment. With an air of respect in his demeanor he said, "As for why I'm here, a Colonel in command of only a light-battalion? When I learned there was a clone using my name on Pandora, I pulled a few favors to delay my pending retirement so I could personally lead this mission. I'm here to make it right, as well as every man and woman in my command. All volunteers the same as me and the same as those who came before us on Augustine Station."

There was a pause for a moment and then the Colonel proceeded to point out his officers, "this is my tactical officer, US Army Chief Warrant Officer Samuel Bieda," Jake noticed he was also wearing a Green Beret. The Colonel turned to the other officers "my executive officer, Major Nigel Zuberi, African Union Air Corp; Captain Dewayne Gates, United States Marine Corps; Captain Luli Wong, Chinese Army; and Captain Andre Novikov, Russian Army-Spetsnaz."

As Colonel Quaritch introduced them, Jake nodded to each one in turn. He realized this was a real military intervention. The Colonel added, "Since there were no surviving UN personnel to report to, I've assumed command of the Pandora Theater of Operations until we are relieved."

Instinctively, Jake glanced back at me but neither of us said anything.


	44. Ch43: Terra Incognita

**Chapter 43 – Terra Incognita**

The conversation paused for a few moments while we watched several of the base's exterior lights flicker on and off. Finally, all of Hell's Gate's outdoor floodlights sprang to life. In unison, they pushed back the surrounding darkness. Despite the lights, the glow of Polyphemus still filled the night sky, its beauty beyond comparison. Captain Wong commented, "Looks like the tech teams are ahead of schedule." The Colonel nodded and continued the conversation.

"Now that we've made contact with you, Mr. Sully, it's important for you to understand that we're not your enemy. The spirit of our mission is to restore law and order on Pandora with regard to its human inhabitants. Although, it's unfortunate no human survivors were found, but it's still possible the enemy could be holding some them prisoner. We'll find out sooner or later." Just as he finished his sentence, an alarm sounded in the background from the direction of one of the Ajax tanks.

In the distance, skimming along the top of the tree canopy, an unmanned aerial vehicle appeared. We watched in silence as one of the Man-O-Wars on the perimeter of the base fired off a missile. It streaked into the sky, at first with no apparent direction. Then, with no warning, it changed course radically to hunt its target. In what seemed like less than a second the missile found its target and destroyed the small UAV before it could fly over the compound.

One of the Man-O-Wars that stood near us said in a monotone voice, "Sir, Victor 4 reports UAV destroyed. No other hostile inbounds detected." The Colonel said, "Very good. Tell the engineers I want the ground radar and air defense cannons booted to the top of the priority list. We don't need anymore surprises." The Man-O-War replied, "Yes, sir."

The Colonel looked back toward Jake, "It appears the neighbors know we've moved in. We'll have to send them a nice fruit basket, I suppose." The group of humans all chuckled at the humorous notion; even Jake cracked a grin at the idea. I stood there in place, listening to everything said, and noticed that Jake's demeanor had become much less hostile as he listened to the Colonel's orders and introductions of his senior officers. I thought of all the men standing before me, the only face I recognized was Sam. He probably wouldn't remember me, but we'd had a few pints of beer together years ago during some joint training operations, when I was still in uniform. I think he was a Staff Sergeant at the time, not that he'd recognize me now, of course.

The Colonel said, "Now that I've explained why we're here and introduced you to my officers, I think you owe me an explanation." Jake, with an annoyed look on his face said, "What kind of explanation are you looking for?" The Colonel replied, "When we arrived, we scanned every frequency, including the Avatar channels, for friendly communications and found nothing but enemy chatter. However, I'm pretty certain that's an Avatar standing right behind you."

Jake instinctively replied, "All of the friendly Avatar bodies are dead. They starved after their drivers were killed, although we think some of the humans at Hell's Gate might have been taken prisoner. We only found a few human bodies after Hell's Gate was attacked by the miners."

The Colonel grinned for a moment, "Jake, I may be an old soldier, but like I mentioned earlier even I can count fingers and toes. Last I heard, you were the only human to ever become a permanent Na'vi. So do you mind explaining the five fingered and five toed Na'vi standing right behind you?" For a moment there was an awkward silence, then I said in Na'vi to Jake, "He has a good point. I guess it's time I said something to them."

The Colonel replied in a rather formal but clear dialect of Na'vi, "Yes, I'd like to know who you are?"

Both Jake and I, with clear surprise echoed across our faces, just stared at the Colonel for a few seconds. He not only understood Na'vi, but could also speak it reasonably well. Jake nodded his approval for me to speak.

In English I said, "Colonel, my name is Doctor Nathan LeMay. I not only survived the attack on the station, but also survived the permanent transferal of everything I am, mind and soul into this Avatar body."

This time it was the humans who were surprised and it showed in their body language, facial expressions, and so on. Silence permeated the area, even the Man-O-Wars stood absolutely still as if frozen by the words. Finally, the Colonel managed to stutter a question, "Doctor who?"

A short-lived grin skipped across my face. I replied, "No. I'm not Doctor Who, although I wish he were here right now. I am Doctor Nathan LeMay, Chief of Operations for the late Augustine Science Station, etc, etc," as my facial expression became bluntly serious.

Major Zuberi interjected, "You're telling us, that you, a Na'vi is actually Chief Nathan LeMay?" The Major's expression spoke volumes of confusion and disbelieve.

I replied again more sternly, "That would be correct."

Chief Bieda finally spoke up, "I suppose you can prove that you're Nathan, right? No offense to you Jake, or your people, but the Nathan LeMay I knew…" he paused a moment as if searching for the right words and then continued, "wouldn't have taken very well to the primitive lifestyle of the Na'vi." Jake said with a cynical tone, "No offense taken." Jake turned to look at me, as he patiently waited for my response.

I cocked my head to one side and said, "Sam, I guess you do remember me after all. I have to admit I was one hell of a techno-babbling son-of-a-bitch in those days." One of the Man-O-Wars standing over us made an awkward sounding mechanical chuckle. Simultaneously, everyone glared up at the giant machine, human and Na'vi alike, and it suddenly stopped. A monotone machine voice sheepishly said, "Sorry, sir." I continued, "However, you might consider a few years can change a man. In my case, in less than a year I not only changed, but as you can see I got a whole new physique as well," as I held out my hands palms open. This time, the whole group chuckled at my animated explanation, except for a single Man-O-War.

The Colonel said, "this is all very interesting, but if you are Nathan LeMay, you'll need to provide some evidence. After all, based on what I've read about Avatar technology, the Avatar body should bear some resemblance to its driver, like Jake," as he gestured toward him.

I glanced down at my Na'vi body, held my arms out wide and said, "Actually. Colonel, this was not my Avatar. It belonged to a Doctor James Michaels. He's dead."

After a short, respectful pause I continued, "I originally used this body as a means to communicate a warning to the Na'vi of an imminent attack. There was no other way, since all my conventional equipment had failed. It's a long story and it'd take a while to explain in detail."

The Colonel said, "I see. I might have done the same under those circumstances." I continued, "Not long ago, I was here at Hell's Gate to deal with a personal problem. Once the command building is back online, check the main computer for a file listed as 'LeMay-Na'vi.' It'll provide you some details." The Colonel nodded and said, "I'll take a look at it later."

The Colonel continued, "Reports and speculation aside, I think the best proof of your identity would be for you to authenticate our orders. Only the Chief of Operations should be able to do that, correct?" The Colonel turned to glare straight at Chief Bieda. The Chief gave a quick nod and said, "That's right. Please provide your code and password."

I glanced at Jake and he nodded in approval. I thought I really didn't want to go there, I didn't even want to be in this place. I missed Niysia but it appeared the only way I could help Jake was to resurrect my past. Perhaps in doing so, I'd have the strength with Eywa's Blessing to protect my mate as well as the Omaticaya."

I reluctantly stepped forward, my facial expression and body language turned very serious and disciplined, my tail perfectly still as I stated, "Colonel, I am Dr. Nathan LeMay, Chief of Operations Augustine Science Station, designated U.N. Commander for the Pandora Theater of Operations. My authentication code is Delta, Alpha, Uniform, Alpha, Four Two...my password is 'Terra Incognita.'" I took a deep breath after I said the words.

I stood there and waited as Chief Bieda ran the codes against the orders. Jake looked at me and whispered, "Terra Incognita?" I replied back in a whisper with a shrug of my shoulders, "I was a different person back then." After a few moments, the Colonel looked back at the Chief. He gave the Colonel an affirmative nod and said, "Colonel, the code and password match. The orders are authenticated. This Na'vi apparently is Nathan LeMay."

The Colonel stood there a moment and considered his next words. "Chief Bieda, belay my redesignation order for this base. Think up another damned name when you have time." The Chief replied, "Yes, sir!"

The Colonel looked back at me. He responded as a man would who had just swallowed his pride, "Officers, Attention!"

All of the officers standing before me came to attention with the snap of their boots. The Colonel looked straight into my eyes and stated in a clear tone, "As Commanding Officer of the United Nations Space Service, 2nd Expeditionary Battalion, I'm pleased to report no casualties upon arrival and the battalion is ready for duty on Pandora. What are your orders, sir?" He snapped a sharp salute, his officers following suit and they waited for me to acknowledge them.

I just stood there a moment, stunned at the notion that I was once again in command. I glanced at Jake, and then a quick glance over my shoulder at Mi'niri and the young Na'vi boys behind us. Their futures depended on my next move and then I remembered. I had seen this moment during my dream hunt, a time when my Human past would come full circle with my Na'vi present. During the dream, I had no context and awoke before I made my decision. I had spent countless hours since then worrying whether or not I'd make the right choice if the day ever came. Well, this wasn't a dream and my time had run out.

Command responsibility wasn't easily earned, nor was it easily given up among honorable soldiers. It was apparent now; this Colonel Miles Quaritch was nothing like the man that Jake had told me about; the bloody bastard he and Neytiri had to kill in battle. This man didn't have to obey his orders. He could have just killed me where I stood and reported me 'Killed In Action,' but he didn't. I wouldn't forget it.

I looked back again at Mi'niri and the young Na'vi boys. I motioned to them to stay calm and said in Na'vi, "Everyone just stay where you are. We're about to be free." As I turned back around, I glanced at Jake one last time. He nodded at me as I stepped to the edge of the rope cage and straightened my demeanor to the position of attention.

I returned the salute sharply and said with a firm tone in English, "Colonel, your orders are acknowledged. Welcome to Pandora. 'Operation Vigilant Castle' remains in effect."

I paused for a moment then continued, "According to its special rules of engagement, we are charged with the defense of Pandora at all costs. Understood?"

The entire group of officers replied loudly and in unison, "Yes, sir!"


	45. Ch44: Attention to Orders

**Chapter 44 – Attention to Orders**

Speaking in English for the benefit of the human soldiers…

I looked up at the droids, "Man-O-Wars, disengage the rope cage." Both Man-O-Wars looked at the Colonel. The Colonel said, "I suggest you follow your orders, troopers." They replied in unison, "Yes, sir!" A moment later, the rope cage came apart and disappeared into the arms of the Man-O-Wars. We were free.

I surveyed the area and noticed several of the soldiers' attention was fixed on me. They watched from a distance to see what would happen next. I didn't imagine these soldiers ever thought they'd be taking orders from a Na'vi when they got here, and so they won't.

I said, "Chief Bieda, please record these orders as I dictate them." He hesitated as he replied, "Yes…" I interjected, "go with Chief, the rest of my honorifics are history." Chief Bieda nodded, "Yes, Chief." The Colonel and officers stood at attention as they waited for their new orders. I thought for a moment and said, "Gentlemen, at ease!" The officers relaxed their composure and focused their attention on me.

I continued, "Colonel, you said earlier that after you met your objectives you were to hold position and wait for reinforcements. Were you given any details on those reinforcements?" He replied, "No sir, only to hold position and wait. No other details were included on strength or timeline for their arrival. Considering we have supplies for two months, I hope they aren't far behind us." I replied, as I glanced at Jake, "We can help extend your supplies if it becomes necessary. There's many things here on Pandora that might kill you, but I guarantee you won't starve." The humans chuckled half-heartedly at the comment, but their pale faces were proof enough that they understood the seriousness of my statement.

I paused a moment and said, "Here are your new orders, to be followed succinctly."

I paused again just long enough to put order to my thoughts. I couldn't afford a mistake with my words. After all, it'd been while since I spoke this much English. I continued, "This battalion will work with the indigenous Na'vi at all levels in order to hold this Fort, conduct reconnaissance, and carry out tactical operations against all hostile human forces on Pandora and in orbit. Top priority is air defense, especially from a missile strike." Everyone noticed the anxiety in my demeanor when I mentioned the missile strike. The Colonel's eyes widened as if he wanted to ask a question but thought it better to save it for later.

I paused, yet again considering my words before I continued, "I agree with the Colonel, I don't want this place named after me. Instead, we'll name it after a person who died in the line of duty protecting Pandora. We'll call it Fort Chacon." Chief Bieda said, "Noted, sir."

I looked over at Jake. He stood silent with an agreeable expression on his face. I turned my attention back to the officers and said, "Colonel you are to remain in operational control of the battalion with your chain of command intact. You will work with the Na'vi Olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya, Jake Sully, as your liaison to the indigenous population of Pandora." Jake looked at Colonel Quaritch and then me and nodded in agreement.

I took a deep breath, "the official status of Doctor Nathan LeMay will remain 'Missing in Action.' Colonel, once you've viewed the file I mentioned earlier, I'd like you to recommend that my Augustine Science Station crew be posthumously recognized for their distinguished bravery. You'll find what you need in the file." Colonel Quaritch nodded. I continued, "All of the station scientists except for Taylor, Frost, and Lischinsky are to be marked KIA. The three scientists I mentioned are most likely prisoners. With regard to the former Hell's Gate humans, I have nothing to add to your earlier assessment of their status."

"All of these orders, with the exception of crew and scientist status, should be considered classified. Chief, given the nature of this operation, I'll leave it to you to ensure these orders are given the proper classification upon transmission."

The Colonel had a confused expression on his face, "Nathan, are you sure you want to do this? Don't you want Earth to know you're still alive?" I replied, "That's exactly what I'm saying, Colonel." I tapped my forehead with my right hand, "Despite what's in my head, I'm no longer human. I'm a Na'vi, who just happens to possess some exceptional skills. The human being that Sam used to drink with is gone and thus it should remain so noted in the official record. Rumor has it; I'm a hero back home. That's nice to hear but in the real world I could care less if they name a hundred schools after me. None of it has meaning on Pandora, so let the human memory of Nathan LeMay rest."

"Can I count on you, Colonel?" The Colonel had a frown on his face, as he considered how to reply. He looked around at his officers, up at the Man-O-Wars, then he turned back to me, "Very well, Chief. I can't say I agree, but your decision will be respected. Chief Bieda, ensure the orders are properly transmitted to command as ordered, and personally see to it." Chief Bieda nodded in agreement.

I said, "Thank you, Colonel." However, I noticed the faces of the officers that stood before me was less than satisfied with my rationale.

As I focused on their expressions, it was clear I needed to clarify the reality they were about to face. They needed to be motivated. I said, "Let me clarify a couple of things before we get on with the business of the day. I'm not giving up my command or responsibility to you and these troopers, Colonel. I'm simply delegating operational command because the troops need a human face to lead them into combat. I have no problem with these troopers being briefed on who I am and what's at stake. They deserve the truth, considering the risk. I have no doubt in my military mind that some of them will be laid to rest on Pandora before we're relieved." I paused and noticed several of the nearby soldiers had stopped their work to listen to me.

After a short glance around the area, I continued in a louder and more forceful tone, "Our orders are to hold until properly relieved and we will do that, gentlemen." I pointed to the flag that had just been raised and continued, "our flag will still be flying over this base the day this operation is finished and we stand relieved. On that day, the promise will have remained unbroken. A promise the first Commander-in-Chief of the U.N. Unified Space Service, General Marcus Hall, made in order to keep another crisis like 2154 from ever happening again." I paused again as I noticed more soldiers turning their attention toward me.

I continued, "Gentleman, we are but the first of many future generations who will stand watch over Pandora. Together we hold this promise high as a symbol of honor and it shines with a noble brilliance even into the dark places. So much so that no matter the sacrifice it will refuse to be extinguished. Its demands are simple, moral, and just. We are Peacekeepers and with God as my witness we will bring peace to Pandora or die trying. Do you understand me!?" All of the officers along with several of the surrounding soldiers who had stopped to listen came to attention. In unison they yelled with pride in their voices, "Sir, Yes Sir!"

I glanced over at Jake. He smiled at me and nodded in approval of what I'd said. I stepped back to stand behind him once again. It felt like I'd made the right call. Either way, my destiny would be the same as the Omaticaya. Niysia and I together, under Ewya's Branches. Besides, it was the safest option for my sister, her family, and Earth.

The Colonel turned to Jake, "You and your people are free to go. I suggest you make contact with the other Na'vi as soon as possible so we don't have any confusion or incidents, before we can establish a means of recognition for your people as friendly forces. Nathan, if you don't mind, I have several engineers who would love to talk with you about this tore-up base."

I grinned at the Colonel, "It'd be my pleasure to give them a hand." I said to Jake in Na'vi, "Please tell Niysia I'm fine and I'll be home soon." Jake placed his right hand on my shoulder, "Will do. And Nathan? Well done." He smiled at me as he turned to walk away toward the base perimeter, followed by Mi'niri and the young Na'vi boys. As Jake started to walk away, he stopped and turned back to me, "Oh, and Nathan, you might want to tell them the bad news." I nodded, and then Jake turned to walk away.

I turned back toward the Colonel and with an ominous tone said, "Colonel, not only do we need to get our air defenses up quick, but we need to scout out a location for a bravo site as soon as possible." The Colonel replied, "I guess there's a good reason?" I said, "Unfortunately there is and it will come in either the form of a Tactical Nuke or Thermobaric ordnance." Suddenly, there was murmuring among the officers behind the Colonel.

The Colonel turned to his officers and said with a firm tone, "Calm down, people. We need to work the problem, not panic over it." He turned his attention back to me and said, "How do you know this?" I said, "It's difficult to explain. You'll need to trust me on this one, Colonel. My Intel is very reliable. Besides, even if it wasn't, we need to be ready for an atmospheric or orbital based confrontation sooner rather than later." The Colonel thought for a moment and said, "I agree. It's a sound defensive posture and good strategy in our situation, but I'd like to hear about your Intel later, when we have more time." I nodded, "Of course."

Finally, the Colonel said, "Major Zuberi, see to the base. Captain Wong, deploy the recon teams to survey viable bravo sites. Everyone else, you know what to do. Dismissed!" They replied in unison, "Yes, sir!"

Shortly after midnight Pandora time, aboard the Dark Miner…

Just as Charlie was about to board his shuttle, a crewman walked up to him and handed him a small halo pad. The crewman said, "Sir, some good news from the Captain before you depart." Charlie took the pad, "Thank you crewman." He glanced at the message on it as he climbed the ladderway into the shuttle. It read: "The captured U.N. supply ship formally called ISV Endurance, now rechristened "New Hope" by the miners has reported her repairs are complete. Its cargo hold is nearing capacity and she has begun preparations to leave orbit. Just thought you'd like to know, Laura."

Charlie mumbled to himself, "the ship was almost ready to depart for Earth with the first shipment of unobtanium since RDA was forced out in 2154." He sat down and leaned back in his seat aboard the transport shuttle. He knew with New Hope's departure the political landscape back on Earth would begin to change in favor of his unorthodox methods. At least that's what RDA assured him would happen. He thought for a few moments about past events with RDA and came to the conclusion there wasn't any reason to doubt their resolve, as long as he kept his end of the deal.

With a jolt and a whine of the engines, the shuttle departed Dark Miner. Charlie relaxed in the comfort that despite his minor inconvenience with LeMay's survival his plan had played out flawlessly. Of course what he'd done was nothing compared to what he was about to do. Charlie closed his eyes and grinned as he contemplated his grand plan for Pandora's future.


	46. Ch45: The Black Jack

**Chapter 45 – The Black Jack**

About an hour later…

Aboard the Dark Miner, the continuous set of tonal pings that Charlie initiated had continued to repeat without interruption. Without any warning, a new set of pings began complimenting the set Dark Miner was broadcasting. Allison's eyes flared wide open as the surprised comms officer heard the change and almost fell out of her chair as she reached over to turn up the volume on the console speaker. She called out to the watch officer, "Sir, I have something over here!"

The signal was weak, too weak for an exact geo-location, although it was definitely coming from the vicinity of Hell's Gate. It was obvious the new set of pings were intentional, as they appeared to compliment those the Dark Miner was transmitting. After she listened to the pattern repeat a few times, she realized it was Morse code. She had read about it in school, but never actually heard it used before. She had no idea how to break it out so she started a recorder for computer analysis. She commented, "Why would someone use 19th century Morse code on Pandora?" After the new pings repeated for the tenth time, they abruptly stopped. She quickly pressed several buttons on her halo display to pull up the recorded timeframe for signal analysis.

After a few moments she said, "Computer, conduct an analysis of the signal," as she reached over and picked up her cup of lukewarm tea. She excitedly gulped down the last of it while she waited. Finally, the computer replied, _"Analysis complete. It is a Morse code message that reads, 'I am ready for orders,' end of message." _ It only took a second for her to rationalize the importance of the message. Before the watch officer could speak, she anticipated his order and opened a channel to the Black Jack, which had been in orbit for about three hours now. Charlie had directed he be contacted immediately if there was any change to the signal. These new pings and the resulting message more than qualified as a big change.

Meanwhile over Pandora…

A small transport shuttle arrived in high orbit as it matched rotation and course with a massive cylindrically shaped ship. Charlie leaned back in his chair and he stared out the port window. He thought, there she is. The Black Jack, one of the most impressive and powerful ships mankind had ever built and it's working for me. Charlie smiled at the notion.

The ship was painted jet black from bow to stern with the single image of a spade suit playing card: the Black Jack painted across its mid section. It's the perfect image for a mercenary or a pirate ship, depending on who you ask. Only a few glimmers of light from a handful of observation windows were visible. To the rear of the vessel there was the red glow of the powerful dual matter/anti-matter engines that pulsated against the brilliant blue hue of Polyphemus in the background.

She was a Gagarin Class Explorer Ship, twice the length of the Capital Star Class Interstellar Ships. Its engines about twenty five percent larger, and outfitted with an exoskeleton latticework designed to support the ships spinning interior section. The latticework was unique because it allowed almost the entirety of the ship minus the engines to rotate, thus creating artificial gravity for the crew. Of course more recent modifications to the latticework included a variety of offensive and defensive weapon systems as well. It was a breathtaking sight even for a seasoned space traveler to behold. She was majestic and deadly.

Before the mutiny lead by the former second officer Ute Dias, the ship had originally been christened the E.S. Yuri Gagarin. She was the first of her class and like all prototypes she was built to perform well beyond her stated specifications. Rumor has it she's the most powerful of her class even before her modifications.

Besides the fact she was the first of her class, all the extras were necessary because explorer ships were designed to spend decades, perhaps even generations away from home. The ship was completely self-sustaining so the crew could remain awake for extended periods of time to carry out their mission. To date, only three of these ships have ever been built, including Gagarin a.k.a. Black Jack.

Of course, this ship never went home. Despite her original compliment of defensive weapons, Ute has extensively upgraded the ship with an array of offensive weapons. The best the black market could provide. Now she was here, ready to teach the natives just how insignificant they really were in the greater scheme of things.

Charlie watched as his shuttle docked inside the massive ship. The shuttle floated into an airlock large enough to hold the entire shuttle, as it slowly rose up into the main bay. He noticed crewmen working on the deck, and realized the main deck was pressured. He was impressed. Over the intercom, a voice said, "Mr. Porter, the shuttle is secured. You can exit at the rear port hatch." Just as he started to get up, he glanced out his port window again and noticed a woman waiting for him just outside the port hatch. It was Captain Ute Dias.

The hatch to the shuttle slowly lowered to the deck to reveal Charles Porter, the man who had hired Ute and her crew to come to Pandora. Ute thought he was older than she'd expected but he was the one calling the shots as long as he could pay the bill. She grinned at the thought.

Charlie straightened his suit and patted out some of the wrinkles before he stepped off the shuttle to greet Ute. She stood about 5'10", with slender athletic curves in her figure, short sandy-blond hair, and a fair complexion. Her slender appearance was made even sharper by her black and purple skintight jumpsuit, high-heeled boots, and pearl-gripped pistol holstered on her hip. Charlie thought her avatar persona was nice, but in this case she actually looked sexier in person, especially for a woman in her early 50's. I wonder if she takes care of her ship as well as she takes care of herself.

Perhaps the most intriguing feature about Ute was the emblem of the Black Jack playing card just above her left breast, worn as if it were a command badge. It wasn't difficult to tell she was in charge and he suspected her ego would prove to be in synch with her looks.

Ute said, "Welcome aboard, Charlie. It's nice to finally get the chance to meet the man paying for this job." He quaintly smiled and reached out to shake her hand. She just stood there and looked at his hand, then said, "Sorry, I'm not into that." She smirked and continued, "care to follow me to the bridge? I'll have my people take care of your luggage." Charlie nodded and followed her across the busy shuttle bay toward the hatch that led up to the bridge.

As he followed her, he noticed several large, cylindrical, torpedo-shaped objects being assembled. He asked, "Ute are those my…" She interrupted him and replied, "That's them, all right. They'll be ready to use within the hour." She chuckled, "All I need are your target coordinates and then I'll show the Na'vi some fucking fireworks they wont soon forget." Charlie realized he needed to pull himself together and take charge, or she would. He quickly caught up to her, and walked alongside her in step. He said, "Very well, let's get on with this rat killing." They both chuckled at the comment.

The two were almost to the bridge when Ute's comms headset pinged that hung around her neck. She put the device back in her ear and said, "Go ahead, I'm here." Charlie couldn't hear the voice on the other end, but watched Ute's reaction to the message. It must be good news, he thought.

Ute pulled the headset back down to her neck, and turned to Charlie as they walked through the corridors. She said, "That was my comms officer. Apparently, Dark Miner has received some sort of reply to the message you started before you left. Would you like to enlighten me as to what the hell they're talking about?" Charlie smiled, and with confidence in his voice, said, "Every good poker player needs an ace in the hole. You should know that. It appears mine has just checked in and that means I should have some coordinates for you to shoot at very soon."

Charlie chuckled as Ute just glared at him with a smirk. She replied, "It seems your reputation for intrigue is well deserved, Charlie. I hope you don't mind if I hold my applause until the job's done." As she finished her sentence, they walked up to the bridge doors. Charlie simply looked down his nose at her and remained silent. Ute realized he wasn't going to tell her anymore. She made a frustrated sigh as she swiped her access badge and the doors opened to reveal the busy nerve center of the Black Jack.


	47. Ch46: Blue Collar Roots

**Chapter 46 – Blue Collar Roots**

In the pre-dawn hours of November 7, 2155 on Pandora…

The human technical team, with my assistance, had just finished making the final repairs to the fusion generator when I got the report. An unknown ship with no transponder code had just been detected in orbit. Unfortunately, it wasn't the ship I'd hoped to see.

It had been a long night and I was exhausted, but the generator was working at almost 80% efficiency. It was the best we could do, and thankfully it wasn't leaking radiation. We'd need every bit of power if the base came under attack from a hostile ship in orbit. I emerged from the engineering building with a film of dirt, dust, and the smell of lubricant oil on my skin. As the generator came back online, the many lights around the tarmac began to slowly re-illuminate Fort Chacon.

I watched the numbers on a halo pad in my hand as the generator spun up to full power. At the same time, I made minor adjustments to its radiation shield specifications. In my peripheral vision, I caught a glimpse of something moving fast in my direction. I looked up just in time to realize it was Niysia sprinting towards me from across the partially lit tarmac, her tail gracefully whipping back and forth, and her facial expression a mixture of excitement and concern.

I tossed the halo pad to the nearest technician and braced myself. She screamed, "Nathan, you're alive!" as she practically tackled me. I managed to stay on my feet as I absorbed the impact and embraced her with both arms. With a big smile on my face I said, "Yes, darling, I'm alive and well." Niysia had tears running down her cheeks.

It was obvious she had thought the worst had happened, and I couldn't blame her. From her vantage point and past experience with humans, things must have looked really bad. I just stood there and held her in my arms for as long as it took. Finally, she pulled her head back and looked me in the eyes. I whispered, "I see you." She smiled and began to laugh despite the tears and replied, "Yes, I see you." We kissed several times, and ignored everything else around us.

It wasn't my desire, but I reluctantly whispered in her ear, "I need to finish my work. I'm almost done and I'll be home in a few hours." She pulled her head back and looked me in the eyes again, "I was worried about you." I replied, "I know, but it's ok now. These people are friendly and I'm helping them, so they can help us stop the others." She looked around at the nearby humans; the technicians had started talking amongst themselves as they gave us time together.

Niysia said, "I don't trust them Nathan, but I do trust you." I smiled and replied, "Good. Then head home and let me finish up. I'll be home in time for the mid-day meal, I promise." Niysia smiled as her tears began to dry up. She said, "I'll be waiting for you. I gave her a coy grin, as I rubbed a smudge of oil off her nose. We kissed again, more slowly this time.

After a few moments, we released one another. Just before I let go of her right hand, I gently pulled her back. She turned to look at me and I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I promise, I'll be home soon." With a flirtatious smirk she pulled her head back to look me in the eyes. She replied, "You better be." She reluctantly released my hand as she stepped back and made a whistle like sound to call her Ikran. Her eyes were beaming with excitement as she slowly turned to walk away. Despite one of the technicians attempt to get my attention, my gaze remain firmly fixed on Niysia as she walked away. The way she walked, the way she looked, and the way she had kissed me dominated my thoughts and emotions.

Suddenly, as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over my head, I pushed my feelings back. I yelled, "Niysia, hold up a second," and I started to jog towards her. I glanced over at Jody and yelled, "Hey Jody, throw me my halo pad." Jody looked surprised for a second and then he tossed me the pad I'd been using to monitor the radiation shield. Niysia looked over her shoulder and stopped to wait for me. Her Ikran approached in the distance as I cleared the data from the halo pad and handed it to her. I said, "Would you carry this back to Hometree and give it to Jake? He'll understand what it's for." She took the device and placed it into a pouch hanging from her side. No words were exchanged; we quickly kissed again, just as the Ikran landed with its wings spread wide.

I just stood there like a love-struck teenager and watched her climb onto her Ikran and fly off into the dark sky toward Hometree. I thought about how amazing she was and how I wished I could have followed her right then, but other responsibilities demanded my attention. I hoped to remedy that dilemma one day soon.

With Niysia gone, my mind returned to its more analytic nature as I stared up into the night sky. I thought about the ship in orbit for several minutes, and back to the days and months before I lost my crew and former life. I recalled the intelligence reports from Earth. The ship was called the Black Jack. That was the ship my crew and I expected to face, not the treacherous sneak attack we suffered. It was all a damned tragedy and now my sins have come full circle. The memory from James makes sense now. If the reports were correct they have the power to kill everyone I care about. I can't allow it.

I gritted my teeth as I painfully relived in my mind that fateful day. The death of my crew, all of them good friends, stung my senses. Then there were the deaths of all those innocent scientists who never knew what was really going on. It was our job to protect them and we failed. I failed. After a moment of silence, I mumbled, "I still have the codes."

I switched my radio to private mode and pushed the transmit button on my throat mic, "Jake, can you read me? Are you awake?" I started to repeat the call when Jake interrupted, "I'm still awake. Go ahead, Nathan." With a serious and grim tone I said, "Jake, I need a favor from you. It's not going to be an easy one either, but I need you to do this for me."

There was a momentary pause before Jake replied, "Ok Nathan, what do you need?" I replied, "I want you to exhume my human body." Jake said, "What did you say?" I waited a few seconds and continued, "I said, I need you to dig up my human body and retrieve an object from it." Jake interrupted but before he could finish his first word, I cut him off, "Jake, you have to trust me! You have to do this, I would do it myself, but it's urgent that I stay here right now. Once you've exhumed the body, you'll see I only had one tattoo on my left arm. Remember it? It's a dagger with wings and the words "Who Dares Wins" written under it. Cut into the underarm opposite the tattoo and you'll find a small capsule. Inside it is a micro data card."

There was a long pause. Then Jake replied, "Nathan, I know you've kept some things to yourself, but you will explain all of this when you get back, right?" I said, "The time's come that you need to know, all of our people need to know what we're facing. That capsule may hold the best chance for our survival." Jake replied, "Alright, I'll handle it myself, but I expect answers." I said, "You'll have them. I promise you'll have all of it." Jake didn't reply this time.

After a few moments of contemplation, I turned back to Jody and the other technicians who had been patiently waiting for me, "Okay Jody, lets finish this thing up because I have plans for the day." Having overheard my conversation with Jake, he chuckled and replied, "You're a complicated man; I mean Na'vi, Nathan." I quietly groaned at his intentional misstatement and attempt to lighten my mood as he handed his spare halo pad to me.


	48. Ch47: Ace of Spades

**Chapter 47 – Ace of Spades **

We walked back toward the command building. Along the way we noticed a commotion over next to the Russian Star Valkyrie. It was Major Zuberi and Captain Novikov in what appeared to be a heated argument with several crewmembers of the Russian shuttle. Jody and I started to ignore it, when Jody's radio squelched an urgent message: a machine-like voice said, "All available senior staff report to Shuttle Charlie at once." The message repeated two more times.

I said, "Jody, let me see what's happening and I'll catch up with you before I leave so we can recheck those radiation shield numbers one more time." Jody nodded and he and his team headed off toward the command buildings. I upped by pace to a jog as I approached the commotion at Shuttle Charlie.

When I arrived, Major Zuberi and Captain Novikov were in the middle of an argument about weapons security and access protocols. The shuttle technicians stood in a line at attention, all with grim looks of worry across their faces. I didn't get the context at first, until Nigel said, "Dammit Andre, that EMP didn't just grow legs and walk off. Now only Allah knows where it is and who took it!"

It dawned on me that they were discussing the disappearance of an Electro-Magnetic-Pulse weapon, more commonly referred to as an EMP. I started to grimace at the idea, since it was obvious something had happened to one. It occurred to me that each of these military shuttles was probably armed with at least one of these weapons in its arsenal. I knew an EMP was one of the most powerful weapons available for space combat and primarily used to disable an adversary before being boarded. Now one was missing, not good.

I loudly stated, "Gentlemen! Please, stop arguing about the obvious." Both men turned simultaneously. They both quickly resumed their military barring and came to attention. I continued, "I've heard the gist of the argument, so clarify for me; is there an EMP weapon missing? If so, how long has it been gone and what about the security logs?

Major Zuberi answered, "Yes, it looks like we have a missing EMP device, sir." The Captain interjected, "We discovered it missing about fifteen minutes ago and it had to be someone with the access codes, because the logs show it was properly logged out. The problem is the log said I did it, and obviously I did no such thing." He crossed his arms with an indignant look on his face and glanced at his watch.

I said, "I see the problem. Andre, you know security protocol as well anyone here, so I'd appreciate it if you follow those protocols. We all know what could happen if that weapon goes off." I glanced into the sky as I finished the statement, then back to the officers in front of me. Andre nodded and pulled his sidearm from its holster, spun the weapon around so the handle faced Major Zuberi. The Major gently took the weapon and said to two nearby Russian soldiers. "Take Captain Novikov into custody until we get to the bottom of this missing weapon." The Russian soldiers reluctantly said, "Yes, sir," as they stepped up next to the Captain on each side of him.

Major Zuberi said, "I'm sorry, Andre. Personally, I don't think you did it. With that said, we need your help to figure it out." Reluctantly, Andre Novikov swallowed his pride and nodded in agreement. I said, "Major, where's the Colonel?" He replied, "He took out an AMP suit to help with the Bravo site survey. He should be back before dawn." I turned to Captain Gates, who'd just walked up a few moments after me. I said, "Captain Gates, contact Colonel Quaritch and let him know what's happened here and that we've initiated a top to bottom search. Keep it on a secure channel." The young Captain replied, "You got it, sir," as he turned and jogged off toward the command building.

I said, "People listen up. We have got to find that EMP as soon as possible! If it goes off for any reason, their fault, our fault, nobody's fault, then we are screwed! For all intents and purposes, we'll be blind and practically defenseless against that ship sitting up in orbit." Everyone in the sound of my voice listened intently to my words. I could see in their faces they understood the consequences if we lost our air cover.

Just as I finished my statement, one of Captain Wong's officers ran up to us. He came to an abrupt halt and tried to catch his breath through his exopack mask as he saluted the Major. His face displayed an expression of desperate urgency. After a few seconds Lieutenant Chu caught his breath, "Major, we've got a serious problem. A foot patrol just discovered the body of Charlie Five's driver and the AMP suit is missing. I was afraid to call it in over the air, since whoever took the suit could be listening. There was a moment of silence among the entire group as the officer's words sank into the already frustrated situation.

Major Nigel Zuberi's facial expression couldn't hide his foreboding sense of worry as he began to put the sequence of events into order. The pattern was not looking good. He turned to Captain Novikov and held the weapon out toward him handle first. He said, "Looks like my hunch was correct Captain, and now I'll need everyone we have and a little luck."

Captain Novikov took the handgun back and glanced at his watch again. I noticed Andre's demeanor grow even more nervous instead of relaxed as I might of expected. I was just about to ask Andre a question, when he stepped back and raised his pistol to point it at Major Zuberi. Andre said, "I'm sorry Nigel, I didn't have a choice."

I shouted, "Novikov! Holster the weapon. That's an order." At that moment everyone became acutely aware that Captain Novikov was pointing his pistol at Major Zuberi's head, and had tears rolling down his cheeks. Nigel Zuberi just stood there, because he realized there was nowhere to run. He simply spoke in Arabic, "God is Great!" Both of the Russian solders looked down at the pistol with shock in their eyes, stunned by their superior officer's actions.

The gun went off, just as one of the Russian soldiers tried to force Captain Novikov's arm down. Instead of the intended headshot, the bullet struck Nigel in the chest. The military ammunition was of the deadliest variety. When the bullet struck, it punctured Nigel's uniform, burst out the other side; blood spurting against the shuttle's landing gear. Nigel stumbled backward and caught one of the wheels to stay on his feet. I yelled, "Don't kill him, we need him alive!"

It was too late. Although the soldiers kept Andre from instantly killing Major Zuberi, he stumbled backward and began to take aim at the nearest person. Both of the Russian soldiers began to draw their pistols, as Captain Andre Novikov's mid-section vanished in a fine red mist of blood and flesh spread outward on the tarmac behind him.

A nearby AMP suit driver had been monitoring the heated argument. After the first shot was fired, he'd switched his suit's GAU-100 mounted cannon into sniper mode. He fired one shot with perfect accuracy just before he heard my orders. Andre stumbled backward as he looked down to see a hole through his gut big enough to put his hand through. There was nothing that could be done for him. He fell to his knees and in Russian muttered, "I did it for my family. I had no choice," his voice trailed off. He fell to the tarmac face first. Dead.

My eyes remained fixed on Novikov's body for a moment. His body lay face down with his arms outstretched. I noticed the watch on his left wrist and recalled how he'd kept a close eye on it just before he died. I realized he was keeping time for some reason, but why? Then it occurred to me, this was a diversion. I yelled Lieutenant Chu, begin an immediate search for the EMP! Use everyone you can find; this is your top priority! Also, keep it off the AMP suit channels. The less the perpetrator knows the better." He excitedly yelled, "Yes, sir," and ran off to organize the effort.

I hurried over to Nigel, who had slid down the side of the shuttle landing gear, and sat there leaned up against a huge tire. One of the Russian soldiers was attempting to stop the bleeding with no luck. I screamed, "We need some bloody medics over here now! I said now dammit, now!" I helped the soldier lay Nigel down on the tarmac. I used my left hand to apply pressure and cover the wound in his back, but it did little to slow the loss of blood. The soldier and I continued to try and stop the bleeding, but we knew the wound was fatal and so did Nigel.

Shock was beginning to overcome Nigel, but he managed to turn his head to look at me. He said, "Chief, I'm sorry about this." He glanced down at the bloody wound. I replied, "Save it Major. You're going to live to see General if I have anything to say about it." Nigel chuckled, as blood oozed up through his mouth and he coughed it out. He said, "It would have been nice, but Allah has another plan for me today. Nathan, I've always believed in the mission. I even believe Andre didn't want this to happen, but evil has a way of twisting good men." He coughed again and more blood trickled out. I turned to the soldier and said, "You're dismissed. Go find those bloody medics, already." The soldier at first didn't want to move. I motioned with my head to go and he finally got up and ran off, yelling for the medics.

Nigel continued, "You may be Na'vi, but you're still the castle, Nathan. Make those responsible pay for their evil deeds. In the name of all humanity, my friend, and Allah will protect you." His eyes grew faint, his breath shallow. I could hear the medics coming, as they ran across the tarmac toward us. Nigel coughed again, and spoke in his native Arabic with a faint voice, "Inshallah," his eyes went blank, as he died. I repeated his last words in whispered English, "God Willing," as I laid his head down, pulled my bloodied hand from beneath his back, and closed his eyes.

I stood up as I fought to hold back my feelings of anger and sadness at what I'd just witnessed. The medics worked around me as I slowly stepped back staring at my bloody hands. I mumbled to myself, "You're right Nigel. I am responsible and before I'm finished they will most certainly pay for their crimes."

Wokan walked up and placed his hand on my right shoulder. I turned with surprise, as he stepped back, not sure what I was about to do. He said, "Nathan, I just heard from Gates that there's a human traitor on the run." I glanced over at Andre's dead body, and replied, "Yeah, that appears to be the case. I want you go find this human, Wokan." I paused a moment as I glanced down at Nigel's body again. I continued, "and I don't really care if you bring them back alive." Wokan stared into my eyes, placed both his hands on my shoulders, and said, "Brother, I'll take care of it." He walked away and called his Ikran as well as his warriors who had been waiting nearby.

The other Russian soldier who had been ordered to restrain Captain Novikov stood over his dead body as the medics placed it into a body bag. I walked over to him and said, "I'm sorry, son. This wasn't your fault. Believe me when I tell you, I know how it feels to lose people you trust, especially under these circumstances. There will be time to mourn the loss later. Once the medics have them bagged, I want you to take both bodies to the morgue inside Shuttle Charlie and then join the search." The soldier somberly replied, "Understood sir."

I started to turn and walk away, but stopped and looked back at the soldier and medics. With a solemn tone in my voice I said, "If any of you are religious, now would be a good time to say a prayer." I turned back and started walking toward the command buildings with a determined stride in my step. I said aloud to myself in frustration, "He better find that capsule." I fearfully glanced up at the sky as I walked.


	49. Ch48: Fear Monger

**Chapter 48 – Fear Monger **

In orbit aboard the Black Jack…

Charlie had quickly found his favorite location on the ship. He stood looking at a large wall monitor that was designed to mimic the appearance of an observation window with a view that looked out over the front of the ship. Pandora and Polyphemus were in the distance. It reminded him of the observation window he'd spent so many hours staring out of aboard the Dark Miner. Behind him, just as on the Dark Miner, were the busy sounds of the ship's bridge.

Ute called to him, from where she stood near the comms station. "Hey Charlie, you going to stare at that wall all day or come over here so we can take care of business?" He turned to glare at her for a moment, then his expression changed to a condescending smirk and he replied, "Sure, on to business then," as he walked toward the comms station.

Ute said, "We sent the reply just as you wrote it. What came back was a time, set of coordinates, and the phrase, 'Andre made good on option two.' It repeated three times." Charlie smiled and said, "Good, then everything should be in place." Ute shook her head, "Whatever it means, you set it up a long time ago." Charlie turned to glare at her and after a few seconds of smug silence simply said, "The stage is set and you have your coordinates as promised." Ute slowly nodded.

Charlie continued, "What's the status of the TOROs?" Ute glanced to the next station over, where her weapons officer sat. "Well Mr. Craddick, are you going to answer the man?" Craddick frantically glared through his spectacles, across multiple halo screens in front of him, and replied, "Just making sure every things set, but we're good to go. All eight of them are ready for action if needed." Ute replied, "Excellent. Now if Mr. Porter would be so kind as to give the order, we can take care business," she smiled at the notion as she looked at Charlie and motioned toward the weapons officer.

Ute's second in command was Conrad O'Leary. He was a bald heavy-set man of average height and olive complexion. Charlie recalled his report on him. He'd been with the crew since the beginning like Ute and was well known for his ruthless temperament and fanatical loyalty to Ute. Charlie couldn't help but notice the large black metal, probably .50 caliber pistol holstered on his waist. It occurred to Charlie, his report might have been less than complete with regard to this gentleman.

Conrad grinned as he stepped up to the weapons station, "Captain, the ship has reached optimal position in orbit for a firing solution against any target of your choosing for about three thousand clicks around either of the mining ships. I can expand that radius if needed, but target accuracy will significantly decrease." Ute responded, "Unless Charlie has other ideas, I think that will do it, Conrad." He grinned at the reply and walked back over to his station near the ships helm.

Ute looked at Charlie, "Are we ready?" Charlie replied, "I think we are. You may target Hell's Gate when ready." She chuckled and replied, "Like that was a tough one to figure out." Charlie said, "We can't allow the military detachment that's occupied the facility to go unchecked. Once they're removed from the field, what remains will provide a crystal clear message to the natives. Fuck with us and the same will happen to you. Simple as that." Ute nodded in approval. Craddick put the coordinates into the fire control station. "TORO One is ready for launch," the weapons officer exclaimed.

Craddick continued, "I've synchronized our clock with the time given by Mr. Porter. So what are we expecting to happen, sir?" The weapons officer looked up at Charlie. Charlie replied, "We'll know it when we see it. However, we'll execute our launch at thirty seconds to zero hour." Craddick replied, "In that case, we don't have long to wait."

Ute's face lit up with a big grin, "I have a wonderful idea!" She walked over to a three-dimensional map console and pulled up the location of the Fortune Miner. Charlie walked over to watch what she was doing with the display. She expanded out from the Fortune Miner and said, "If we're going to be Fear Mongers, then let's do it up right." Charlie said, "What the hell are you getting at, Ute?" A big, evil grin spread across her face and she said, "Well, we have plenty of TOROs, so I think we need to underline our message with an exclamation point." There was an awkward silence for several moments.

Finally Ute said, "Mr. Craddick activate TORO Two and input these coordinates. She began to read off a set of coordinates of a large tree on the high plains several clicks away from Fortune Miner." Charlie looked at what she was doing and said, "That's just one of the big trees, where the Na'vi live. Why the hell do we want to waste ordinance on them? I'm pretty sure wiping out Hell's Gate will do the job." Ute replied, "Maybe, but why not be sure they get the message? Killing a few thousand blue roaches will make our position clear to the rest of them." Charlie said, "And that would be?" She curtly replied, "That they should go away and die!"

Ute asked, "Mr. Craddick, did you get those coordinates entered?" Craddick didn't reply at first, but just as Ute was about to repeat herself he stood up from his station. "Excuse me Captain, but why the hell are we killing a bunch of worthless blue monkeys that can't do shit to us?" Ute replied, "Because I feel like it, and because I can. Now input the damned coordinates already!" He thought for a moment and replied, "I don't mind killing the enemy, especially when they stand between me and my paycheck, but this second bomb's just plain senseless slaughter, Captain." Conrad, from his station had begun to notice the weapons officers' consternation about killing the natives. He said, "Craddick, do it or give up your station, Mister."

Craddick sat there a moment with a miserable look on his face and considered his next words carefully. "Captain, I stood with you back in the day because the old man got to where he didn't give a shit either. Now you're starting to remind me of him."

There was a short pause before Craddick stood up and said, "Hell, I don't mind fighting someone who can fight back, but I don't buy into wholesale genocide." He walked away from his station toward the bridge exit. Suddenly, Ute pulled her sidearm and fired one shot at Craddick. The shot echoed throughout the bridge, as everyone stopped and focused their attention, not on the disobedient weapons officer, but rather the splatter of blood on the bridge bulkhead. Craddick continued to walk a few more steps until he collapsed to the deck. Blood poured out on the deck from both the front and back of his head. It was an instant kill shot. Charlie just stood there and watched his legs twitch as if he were still trying to walk. After several seconds the motion stopped, Mr. Craddick was dead.

Captain Ute Dias said, "Any other questions about my judgment?" There was silence across the bridge for several moments. Ute finally said, "I didn't think there would be. Now someone, clean up this mess." She walked over to the weapons console and put the second set of coordinates in the system. The second TORO registered ready to launch. Neither Charlie nor Conrad spoke out, they both simply stood by as Ute enjoyed her sinister moment. She grinned and said, "Now it's just a waiting game" as her fingers impatiently hovered over the launch button.

Charlie calmly said, "Patience, Captain. The timing is important, so wait for it." Everyone watched as the seconds ticked by, one by one.


	50. Ch49: Thy Walls Come Tumbling Down

**Chapter 49 – Thy Walls Come Tumbling Down**

Fort Chacon, command building…

I walked up the stairwell toward the command center, careful not to hit my head. Along the way, I pressed the transmit on my throat mic, "Jake, can you read me?" After a few seconds Jake replied, "Roger Nathan, I'm here." I said, "Have you found the body yet?" Jake replied, "I'm almost there. What's going on?" I said, "I'll have to explain the details later, right now we have a missing EMP, one dead conspirator, and one on the run. I've sent Wokan and his warriors to capture the runner." Jake replied, "Good. He'll catch the bastard." After a short pause I said, "I'm sure he will. Let me get back to you, things are crazy here." Jake replied, "Roger, I'll let you know when I have it."

As I climbed the stairs, Captain Gates came into view. He was talking to the Colonel over a secure channel, just as I'd told him to do. I assumed he was briefing him on the situation. The command center was busy with technicians and soldiers frantically scrambling to coordinate the search effort for the missing EMP. Thankfully the temporary air seals were in place. It would be even tougher for the humans if they were forced to work with their exopacks on. I walked up behind the Captain, looked over his shoulder and said, "Colonel, I see Gates has got you up to speed." The Captain looked up at me, as if he were looking up to an older brother.

The Colonel replied, "Roger that, Nathan. I was telling Captain Gates, this site checks out fine. Captain Wong and her team are surveying the perimeter and mapping out landing sites. Let's get Shuttle Alpha over here as soon as possible." Captain Gates said, "Yes, sir." I said, "Captain, continue the search and I'll handle the shuttle." Gates nodded. I heard Colonel Quaritch say as I turned around that he was on his way back, and for Gates to consider Nathan in command till he got back. The Captain said, "Yes sir."

I switched on the base intercom and said, "Shuttle Alpha begin emergency launch preparations. All Shuttle Alpha personnel return to your shuttle at once, I repeat return to your shuttle at once for immediate departure." I turned to the Captain, and said, "it will make our search effort more difficult, but at least a third of the forces will be safe." Captain Gates nodded his approval as he stood over the three-dimensional map console and reviewed the areas of the base already searched and those that still needed to be searched. He said under his breath. "Dammit, this base is big."

Suddenly, from the other side of the room a Sergeant screamed, "We have a high-orbit launch detection! Two inbound bogeys and they appear to be on ballistic trajectories. One is definitely headed for Fort Chacon! The other I'm still calculating its flight path, sir!" The Captain, with urgency in his voice, yelled into the intercom, "The base is under attack! This is not a drill! All air defense personnel report to your units! All non-air defense personnel continue your search until we find that damned EMP! Shuttle Alpha; get the hell out of here! Take off with what you have. Now!" Alarms began to sound out across the compound; in tones that indicated an air attack was imminent.

I said, "Captain, calm down. We still have air cover, so we need to focus on the search right now." I looked out the forward windows and saw an Ajax tank rolling up the rear gangplank of Shuttle Alpha, flanked by several Chinese AMP suits and closely followed by Man-O-Wars. Its vertical lift engines were beginning to power up as the noise level rose on the tarmac. I mumbled, "Hurry up people, we need you in the air and away from here."

The Sergeant yelled across the room, "Sir estimated time till impact: eleven minutes and twenty four seconds, mark! As for the other one, I'm not sure what it's targeting, but it must be near Fortune Miner based on its trajectory." The Sergeant swallowed hard and said, "Oh dear God, if these readings are correct, both objects appear to be thermobaric weapons. I'm sorry, I can't be more specific with this equipment, sir." I nodded at him and said, "Keep trying Sergeant, you're doing fine."

I walked over to a blank halo console and pulled up the base master alarm system. I hesitated and then pushed the button marked WMD. In the compound outside, the Weapon of Mass Destruction alarm sounded several times. I looked at Captain Gates and said, "They deserve to know what's at stake." He slowly nodded as his facial expression morphed from one of uncertainty to inevitable dread.

Captain Gates turned to the comms officer, "Corporal McCormick, spin up the superluminal comms system and initiate the auto distress beacon. Be sure to attach both a Disaster and WMD flag to it." Corporal McCormick cringed at the thought that this message could be her last. With great effort she overcame the fearful lump in her throat and shouted, "Yes sir!" The Captain commented to himself, "damn she's too young for this. Hell, they're all too young." I turned toward him and calmly stated, "I agree. You're all too young; so see to your duty and let God handle the rest for you." Captain Gates nodded as beads of sweat began to roll down his brow.

The Captain and I both stood there watching as section after section marked in red turned blue one by one; as searchers moved from area to area. Finally, a panicked call came across the open intercom. "We found it! We need an Explosive Ordinance Disposal team to Warehouse Four, pronto!" I leaned down to the mic and said, "Calm down soldier, they're on their way. Read me the status on the side of the EMP device, if you can." The voice said, "It reads…"

Over the forest, Wokan's warriors were hunting the conspirator in the rogue AMP suit…

Wokan and three other Omaticaya warriors circled an area of the forest that had just caught their attention. He was sure he'd seen a glint of metal down there. Just as Wokan motioned for them to land, he noticed in the distance back toward Fort Chacon: a strange bluish-hue lit up the sky. Suddenly, all the lights in the distance went out. For just a few seconds both the Ikrans and Na'vi cried out in pain as the blue hue engulfed them. Wokan and the others suffered a few seconds of disorientation but managed to stay airborne. Wokan shouted out to the others, "Look!" as he pointed toward Fort Chacon, "What happened to the lights?"

Aboard the Black Jack…

Conrad looked up from his station at the front of the bridge and said, "Captain, we just lost our tracking and guidance for both TOROs." Ute acknowledged him, "I can see that." She and Charlie stared at the large wall video. They could see the blue-hue light as it radiated out from Fort Chacon for many kilometers before it slowly dissipated. Finally Ute said, "Amazing. I didn't expect it to be visible from orbit." Charlie smiled and replied, "I know. Isn't it beautiful? As you can tell its actually effects stretch even further than its visual aspects." His demeanor exuded a sense of accomplishment.

Charlie said, "Now you know why timing was everything. Both TOROs are on a ballistic trajectory towards their targets. Therefore, no more guidance is necessary. They will hit on or very close to their intended targets." Ute said, "Close?" He replied, "With a WMD, close still counts as good enough." She thought for a moment and said, "If the electronics are fried…" Charlie interrupted her, "the electronics are backed up by a mechanical detonator. It's primitive but effective."

After a moment, Charlie pulled a small slip of paper from his inside pocket. Ute just stared at it a second. She hadn't seen paper in a long time. Charlie walked over to the comms officer and handed her the piece of paper. He said, "I want you to transmit this code along with your next report home. Ms. Yeager will know what it means and what to do with it." The comms officer replied, "Understood, sir," as she admired the small piece of paper.

Ute couldn't stand the suspense any longer, "So what's the story with the paper?" Charlie grinned and replied, "I'm a man of my word, if nothing else. I can't give out my sources, but in my business, in order for people to believe you when you blackmail them, they need to have some notion that you'll do what you say you'll do. That's what the paper had on it; a simple message that will ensure that Novikov's daughter is exonerated for the crimes she didn't commit." All emotion drained from Ute's face. She realized that Charlie had planned long in advance for the events that had just transpired.

After a few moments, Charlie continued, "I believe in contingencies. As for your question 'why paper?' Well, some things are best kept off the network and without a digital signature. I learned that many years ago in a prior career from an old friend. Ute said, "That must have been one paranoid friend." Charlie grinned and replied, "Indeed."


	51. Ch50: Old School

**Chapter 50 – Old School**

Moments later in the Command Building…

I could hear the commotion around me. A multitude of screams, shouts, and painful groans abated as the humans working around me recovered from the disorienting effects of the electromagnetic pulse. I could hear them and even smell the sweat in the air, but my recovery was more difficult. My head was throbbing with pain as my vision slowly returned. I found myself down on one knee leaned up against the halo console in front of me. The room was mostly dark and full of chaos.

Finally, I managed to clear my head enough to look around; it was obvious the EMP had gone off at full strength or something close to it. I heard Captain Gates yell across the room, "switch to batteries and check the reactor status!" A soldier from across the room returned his question, "Sir, the reactor has been scrammed!"

As I recovered my stamina, I stood up. I mumbled, "Scrammed? That's good news for the reactor. Bad news for our immediate problem, but at least it made a safe shutdown instead of going critical. I mumbled again, "thank you, Eywa." I had only finished resetting the reactor's safety protocols a mere hour ago. From somewhere on the other side of the room I heard, "Batteries engaged!" Just then my console along with a few others in the room powered back up.

I stood there, staring at the halo console as I pulled up the reactors radiation shield status. Thankfully, the shield was still in place. I had to be sure, since so many systems were hit. Some of the alarms may have been disabled as well. I looked around as people frantically tried to assess the situation, while most of the consoles were still dark. Without main power, emergency lights and only critical systems had power in the command center. Time was not on our side. I stared out the window into the dark; men and women were running about in a panic. It occurred to me that we'd lost our air cover. I couldn't help but stare directly at the one of the Man-O-Wars hunched over, dead to the world.

Captain Gates suddenly grabbed me by the arm, "Chief you ok?"

I replied, "I think so, my brain feels like it's been bloody scrambled. Dammit, I have to pull it together."

Gates said, "I guess Na'vi are more susceptible to EMPs."

I replied, "I don't know, maybe. What's our status, Captain?"

Gates replied, "The reactor is scrammed but Jody said he should have it back online soon, but he can't promise it'll be in time. We've lost our air cover, radar, and early warning systems. The shuttles are beginning full system reboots as well. Once that's done Shuttle Alpha will move out. Besides that, I've got my people getting ready to go old school with the air cover."

I thought for a second and asked, "Old school?"

Then it occurred to me, we could use most of the projectile weapons manually to create a flak cover over the base. I yelled, "flak cover! You're a bloody genius Captain! Get everyone you can out there. It may be the only thing standing between us and Hell."

The Captain nodded, "Yeah, that's what I thought too."

I clicked on my throat mic, but nothing happened.

Gates said, "All our comms are down. A lot of the small radios are fried. Our primary comms will be back up once we have the reactor online. Thankfully, the majority of our systems are EMP-protected, but they still get knocked offline and have to be restarted and that takes time. Maybe more time than we have, Chief."

I nodded in agreement with his assessment.

I said, "I need to get down there and help Jody."

The Captain caught me by the arm as I started to walk off. "Sir, respectfully, Jody has everything under control down there. We've got less than five minutes before impact and my people will start putting out flack in three minutes. That should give us enough ammo to hold the flack cover until time for impact. We either hit it by chance with the flack cover, the reactor comes back online and we use the air defense cannons, or we die. Three options sir, that's how this Marine sees it."

While I stood there thinking through the Captain's rationale, I couldn't find fault with his conclusions. With a grim tone in my voice I said, "That sounds about right, Dewayne."

The Captain pulled me closer and whispered, "Sir, it's my responsibility to see to your safety. I can handle things here, but if we fail to stop that bomb in the air, then you know what that means." He glanced around the room at his people and continued, "This building has a bunker room, but I doubt it can withstand what they're sending down. My advice is for you and your people to call your banshees and get the hell out of here. Right now. The longer you argue with me, the less time you have to get clear if we can't stop this thing. Sir, the Colonel is going to need you."

I stood there listening to his words, trying to think of any reason to stay, any rationale to counter his argument, but there wasn't one. He was right. I looked around and realized it would all come down to minutes now. In the dark and without a modern air defense, the odds were against us. The Captain's logic was undeniable.

I finally said, "I understand, Captain."

I walked over to a building intercom on the wall, selected the reactor room and said, "Jody, how long till you're back up?"

After a few seconds, another technician answered, "Chief, Jody wanted me to tell you to get the hell out of here and let us do our job. If it works out, you can buy the first round when this shit is over. That was a direct quote, sir."

I rolled my eyes as I glanced at the Captain, who had a smirk on his face and said, "Alright, tell him I'll buy the first two rounds if he gets that damned reactor online in time."

The technician replied, "You got it sir. We look forward to taking you up on that offer."

I said with a solemn tone, "Good luck guys" and switched off the intercom.

I turned to look at Captain Gates, who stood there glancing at his watch. I said, "Captain, you have the deck. Make the best of it." I scrambled over to the console with the base intercom controls. I pressed several buttons, pulled the mic close and said, "Now hear this, now hear this, Captain Gates is in command until further notice. All units prepare to put out flak cover on Captain Gates' orders. All Na'vi within the sound of my voice, call your Ikrans now, and fly out low over the tree canopy toward the river basin. Once you reach the river, get below the tree canopy." I paused a second then said, "Also, if possible, take a human passenger with you if they're not involved in base air-defense. Good luck. May God forgive us and Eywa protect us!" I switched off the mic, as tears rolled down my cheeks.

Captain Gates tugged at my right arm, "Sir, you need to go now. My people will begin to put up flak in just over one minute. You need to go." I was hunched over the console, memories of my last crew flooded into my mind, but I pushed them back and slowly turned to stare into the Captain's young eyes. I said with a firm, patriotic bearing, "Who Dares Wins, Captain." Captain Dewayne Gates straightened his stature and replied, "Semper Fi, Chief." Then, he cut a sharp salute. I returned the salute, turned, and with a determined pace walked out of the command center, without looking back or making eye contact with any of the soldiers.

As I exited the command center I could hear the young Captain bark orders to his people. I thought, he's a Marine officer, and they have a long tradition of beating the odds. I hope this is one of those times.


	52. Ch51: Out in the Cold

**Chapter 51 – Out in the Cold**

Over a one hundred and twenty kilometers away at the Bravo site…

Colonel Quaritch, Chief Bieda, and Captain Wong sat in their AMP suits, alongside their reconnaissance teams when the EMP went off. All they could do was watch as the two shuttle controlled UAVs that had been hovering over there position, suddenly crashed into a nearby lake and sank.

Captain Wong said, "The EMP must have cut their connection to the pilots." Quaritch and Bieda nodded as the group gazed out at the lake where they UAVs crashed. Finally, she continued, "I wonder why they didn't go into standby mode and just hover in place?"

Chief Bieda answered, "They're weren't shielded against EMP. Despite the distance the pulse was probably still strong enough to confuse or corrupt their flight software. However, that's only an educated guess," as he shrugged his shoulders. They noticed the Man-O-Wars were hunched over and lifeless. Obviously, disconnected from their drivers as well.

Quaritch took count of what he had left, because his senses were telling him the worst-case scenario was about to be a reality. He snarled at the notion that there wasn't a damn thing he could do now to stop it or help his people back at Fort Chacon. LeMay and Gates were on their own now.

What he had consisted of two Man-O-Wars, both useless without drivers, three additional USMC AMP suits, and four Recon-Spheres, two Chinese and two American models. He was thankful Chief Bieda had decided to rendezvous with them here after their prospective site was deemed unsuitable. Unfortunately, Novikov's recon was sent to check a location on the other side of Fort Chacon. The Colonel checked the time on his heads up display and figured they'd had plenty of time to return to the Fort since their site was the first to get marked off the list.

The Colonel tried to hail the Fort again and again, but no one answered. He pounded his fist against the inside of his canopy, as the AMP suit mimicked his movements and yelled into his mic, "Damn, I wish someone would answer me." Everyone at the Bravo site sympathized with his frustration.

Somewhere in the frigid cold of deep space…

The auxiliary control room was dark. The only illumination came from the two digital clocks on the wall; a mission status display and a few blinking red lights on the dormant holo consoles in the room. The temperature in the room was so cold a hint of frost outlined the edges of the display panels. Somewhere beyond the walls of the room, there was the ambient hum of machinery.

The first clock was labeled "Mission Clock" and a set of garbled numbers read '2%^ da=5 &7 h0ur5 %4% m1nute5 %$ 5econd5' and had stopped counting. The second clock below was labeled "Projected Arrival Time." It read 00 days, 00 hours, 00 minutes, and 10 seconds as it counted down. While the clock counted a disembodied voice rang out in the room. "Five, four, three, two, one, zero;" once the lower clock reached zero it began to count upward, while the Mission Clock changed to all zeros. As the seconds began to count on the lower clock, the Mission Clock's numerals blinked in synch but didn't change from zero. The voice stated, "Estimated arrival at destination has been missed, a chronometer malfunction has been detected, commencing progressive time projection for arrival.

On the wall next to the clocks the mission status display screen already had several entries. The screen read in chronological order from the top:

Departure Point – Deep Space (Classified)

Navigation Point 1 – Reached

Navigation Point 2 – Error

[Reason for Error: Unknown]

Event Encounter – Micro-Meteor Shower

Crew Status – 8 Fatalities Recorded

Ship Status: Thrust at 72% and Falling

MISSION RULES OVERRIDE: Enabled

Damage Control Teams – Awakened

Critical Reactor/Engine Repairs – Complete

Navigation System Override: Enabled

Manual Course Adjustment – Accepted

[Destination: Alpha Centauri "A"]

Damage Control Teams – In Stasis -1

A.I. Diagnostic: Corrupted Data Found

External Connections: Unavailable

Life Support Status: Unknown

WARNING: IVAiN System Failure Imminent

MISSION RULES OVERRIDE: Enabled

[ACTION - Switch to A.I. Mirror]

Redundant AI. NiAVi [On-Line]

Primary A.I. IVAiN [Off-Line)

ATTENTION: Flight Systems Restored

{External Communications Off-Line}

{Life Support Control: Partial Functionality}

ISV Status: NOMINAL

It was updated with the following entries.

Chronometer Malfunction Detected

Mission Event – Projected Arrival Time Missed

Chronometer Errors: Irreconcilable

[Navigation Fail-Safe Protocols: Engaged]

Navigation via Stellar Cartography: Activated

Pulsar Comparison #1: Inconclusive

In the dark room, one of the holo consoles came to life. Despite the fact no one was there to see it, by default the computer visualized its star chart comparisons to the void room. IVAiN's failure and subsequent shutdown had also caused damage to some of the A.I. Life Support controls. The damage made it impossible for NiAVI to directly awaken its crew early.

With no means to contact Earth and a malfunctioning chronometer, NiAVI scanned the stars in every direction to compare them against star charts of all the known pulsars in the Milky Way Galaxy. It logically rationalized this was the last option available to determine the ship's direction and location in the vastness of deep space. As endless hours passed the comparisons continued…

Pulsar Comparison #2: Inconclusive


	53. Ch52: Message Delivered

**Chapter 52 – Message Delivered**

On my way out of the building, I passed the Avatar lab. I paused for a second and stared through a shattered window into the room. There was an airtight cover over the part of the wall James's Man-O-War had removed. I recalled his memory of the mushroom cloud explosion. Was it about to happen? I shook off the ominous feeling and walked on towards the building exit.

When I reached the exit, a young technician stood just outside. Speaking with a Parisian accent through his exopack, "Sir, my name is Pierre. Jody sent me to go with you." I replied, "Yeah I remember you. You're one of his engineers. Come with me. I hope you're not afraid of heights."

The technician didn't know how to reply, so he just scrambled to try to keep up with my long Na'vi stride as we walked out on the tarmac. I made a shrill hissing sound. I noticed in the distance the rest of the Na'vi were flying out low over the trees. I hoped it wouldn't be necessary, but the river basin should provide some protection from the pressure wave." I glanced up into the sky again and mumbled, "We don't have much time."

A few seconds later, Blood Stripe landed with his wings spread wide open. He screeched several times. I said to the young tech, "Don't look him in the eyes, Pierre. Just follow me. Take my hand and I'll lift you up." Pierre looked nervous, "Yes sir. Whatever you say," and he walked up behind me.

I calmed Blood Stripe down, petted him as I connected my que. As soon as I did, he bowed his head low, his instincts and my mental state conveyed to him a sense of life or death urgency. I climbed up on his back then reached down and pulled the technician up onto the Ikran. Blood Stripe spread his wings several times, lunged into the air to take flight, and flew out low over the canopy toward the river basin in the distance. As we flew over the perimeter fence, I glanced back as I heard Captain Gate's voice over the base intercom, "All units prepare to open fire…" the voice faded the further we got from the base until only the sound of the wind remained.

A few seconds later, I heard the booming of heavy weapons in the distance behind us at Fort Chacon. The flak cover had started. Every gun and missile was firing blindly into the sky to try and stop a single incoming bomb. It was a bomb that would kill every living thing at Fort Chacon if it got through the base's flak fire.

We flew low over the canopy. I couldn't see any of my fellow warriors ahead of us. They had probably made it to the river basin already, I thought. I could feel Blood Stripe's strain as he flew as fast as he could, even with the extra weight of the human. I petted his neck and tried to keep him calm. I noticed in the far distance, towards the high plains, an odd glow just over the horizon. It was a reddish-yellow glow, unnatural for Pandora's night sky. Pierre tapped my shoulder, as he held on to my waist with his other hand, and pointed in the direction of the glow.

Against the noise of the wind I yelled, "I see it!"

With one hand I held onto Blood Stripe and the other I found my throat mic. I pushed the transmit and said, "Jake can you read me, come in Jake, please respond. Dammit respond!" I paused a second and screamed into the mic, "I have something to tell you, something you bloody well need to know!" There was no response, only static.

We were getting close to the river basin now. Soon we'd be below the canopy and better protected I hoped. I glanced back in the direction of Fort Chacon. It was continuing to put up flak. From this distance, it was a brilliant sight to behold. There were hundreds of tracer streaks and explosions high in the sky. It reminded me of the fireworks displays I used to enjoy watching back on Earth. For a second I thought it odd how such a desperate act of survival could appear so strangely beautiful in the predawn sky.

I could see the river basin in the distance. I began to pass new instructions to Blood Stripe, when suddenly the dull noise of flak from behind us stopped. I frantically screamed, "Don't look back!"

In my mind there was only one reason why the guns would fall silent all at once. I could hear a turbulent wind noise behind us as the sky lit up, a noise like none I'd ever heard before. I knew what it had to be as an utterly primal fear assaulted my senses. I shouted, "Eywa please…"

A few moments later aboard the Black Jack…

Conrad stood at his station on the bridge. He watched the TORO's projected descent on a 3D display that hovered in front of him. While the bridge crew went about their duties, they kept a jealous eye on his 3D display. Finally, Conrad turned around and said to Captain Dias, "Captain, both weapons have reached their targets and preliminary scans indicate," he paused a moment to reconfirm his data, then continued, "Both weapons have detonated over their targets." Ute applauded and the bridge crew followed with applause with the exception to Charlie and Conrad.

Captain Dias beamed with excitement, "Charlie, your message has been delivered. Now you can make that check out to 'Ute Dias and Company.'" Some of the bridge crew snickered at the comment, but not Conrad. He watched Mr. Craddick's body leave the bridge in a body bag. His face showed no sign of emotion or concern; he just turned around and returned to his duties.

A moment later, without turning around, Conrad interrupted the murmur of conversation on the bridge and said aloud, "Comms, reconfirm my numbers for that signal!" A female voice, just out of Conrad's view on the other side of the comms console exclaimed, "Working on it." He turned with a pivot and said, "Captain, I have one more target for you tonight." Ute grinned with pleasure.


	54. Ch53: Survivor's Guilt

**Chapter 53 – Survivor's Guilt **

The river basin…

All at once my body tensed up; my eyes thrust open, and I drew a deep breath of hot air. I faintly whispered "Eywa…" my voice fell silent as fatigue rushed over my entire body and mind. My eyes closed and my breath became shallow again.

I lay there, barely conscious, and thought it was strange how quiet the forest had become; perhaps I was simply deaf from the overpressure of the blast wave. Obviously, I was still alive and wet. I slowly forced my eyes to open again. I was nauseated at the taste of dirt and blood mixed together in my mouth. I managed to spit most of it out but I could still taste the blood. I took another deep breath and coughed a couple of times as my airways cleared. There was an odd odor in the air an odor I knew. Then I recognized it; the smell of burnt flesh and plants. An odor of death and destruction was in the air.

My eyes finally opened enough for me to make out the forest trees in front of me. I realized half my body was still in the water. We must have crashed and landed in the river, but I don't remember any of it, or how I got to the riverbank. I just know I'm here with the taste of fresh blood in my mouth, bloodied noise, and the sting of many shallow cuts. As the water of the river buffeted my body, I reached down under me and pulled my blade from its sheath. I plunged it into the sandy bank with my right hand and clawed with my left to pull the rest of my body out of the water and up on the bank. It was painful. I wasn't sure if I'd broken anything, but I knew I was bruised pretty badly. My mind swirled, my vision was fuzzy and I couldn't focus. I knew only one thing for certain. We hadn't stopped the bombs.

Every part of my body screamed with aches and pain. That was actually a good sign. It meant I could at least feel my extremities. My mind grew weaker, no matter how hard I tried to focus my vision or thoughts on the needs of the moment. I pulled the blade out of the sand and laid it down in front of me. I figured I'd need it sooner or later. Strangely enough, the forest seemed different. It felt lifeless and deserted. The bioluminescence of the forest appeared dimmer than usual but then again it might just be my bloody imagination.

I just laid there on the banks of the river while I tried to stay conscious. I attempted to pull my head off the ground once, but couldn't. Finally, I noticed the silhouette of a man just a short distance away in the edge of the trees. It was Pierre. He hung upside down, his body mangled and lifeless. I thought, poor guy. He didn't deserve to go out like that, none of them did. Why did Novikov do it? This wasn't supposed to happen. I grunted, "None of this was supposed to happen."

Tears rolled down my cheeks mingled in blood as I faintly muttered, "Dammit. Why am I still alive? Why didn't they come like they promised? Please Eywa just let me die. I should be dead not Pierre, not Gates…" my voice quivered as it failed again.

I managed to turn my head to the right to look down the bank in the other direction. My tears turned to crying and I hissed in agony. I beheld my Ikran, Blood Stripe. His tattered body lay motionless, mangled in tree vines and sprawled out on an outcropping of rocks, one of his wings dangling in the river waters. No one had to tell me, I could feel it in my heart. My lifelong friend was gone.

The tears flowed uncontrollably now. I tried again to lift my head, but the pain and exhaustion overwhelmed me. I allowed my body to relax; I stopped fighting the onset of oblivion. I let my consciousness slip away. My vision blurred, my senses went numb, my mind fell silent, and then a veil of darkness embraced me.

A few moments later…

A small, yet stealthy, comms satellite sat high in orbit above Pandora. It had been placed there when Colonel Quaritch's U.N. forces arrived. While the science station's remaining satellites fell from the skies, this single satellite quietly took up position in orbit. It had successfully gone unnoticed until now.

Even in orbit around Pandora space was huge, which made it easy to hide in plain view. That was true until you're told to scream, "I'm over here" at the top of your proverbial lungs. That was exactly what the satellite had been instructed to do, transmit a distress signal in the clear as many times as possible. The message was an auto distress signal created by Fort Cha'con's superluminal comms system and was being relayed into interstellar space by the satellite.

In the distance, a missile homed in on the signal from the satellite, zigzagging as it approached. Finally, the missile slammed into the small comms satellite like a rock into a windowpane. There was a small almost unnoticeable explosion at impact as the satellite's onboard fuel supply ignited. The signal ceased as the remaining debris fell toward Pandora.

Onboard the Black Jack…

Conrad turned around to face Captain Dias and reported, " Captain, our satellite killer hit its target dead on. The hostile satellite has ceased transmission and what's left of it will burn up in reentry over the next few hours."

Ute asked, "Any idea how many times the distress signal cycled? Did it have enough power to go interstellar?"

Conrad thought for a second and replied, "My best guess would be two or three times, since it was a short message. Whether or not it had the power to send a message home? I don't know. The design looked military and definitely more advanced than anything the science station people were using during their time."

Ute looked at Charlie and asked, "What do you think?"

Charlie thought for a moment and replied, "It doesn't matter. With the departure of the New Hope, we can manufacture a new story or just say it was a malfunction caused by an accident at the UN base. Perhaps they blew themselves up trying to repair the fusion reactor down there."

Ute laughed, "You think they'll believe that?"

Charlie said, "Sure, why not? Stranger things have happened in space and having 4.3 light years between the real story and any prospective reporter means we control the headline."

Ute grinned with pleasure in her expression, "I think it's time we celebrated our success over some dinner."

Charlie showed his agreement with a rather conservative nod.

Several hours later at the river basin…

Dreams and nightmares dominated my thoughts as my soul floated back and forth between a conscious and subconscious state of mind. I dreamt of past nights when Niysia and I lay nestled in each other's arms, ques intertwined with one another. Our hearts and minds joined in the intimate caresses of Eywa's physical and spiritual world.

All those nights that I lay there with her in our hammock and stared into the sky expecting them to come one day, but they didn't. Was the promise broken, or was it never real to begin with? My mind turned to dark places, as it filled with doubt and frustration. So many of my friends are dead, and for what? A promise a friend made, for a cause I cared nothing for, but came anyway to give my life. It was the least I could do for my mother. Now it's a place I can't imagine living without. Pandora, he said, was worth more than any treasure mankind had ever discovered. He convinced me it was worth fighting for, even if it cost me my life. So many have done just that-died for it, but not me.

I took an oath to never surrender Pandora, yet I'm the one who most deserves to be dead. I've made to many mistakes, let myself get too bloody close to what I'm here to defend. So much so that I've become part of it. Was it wrong or was it fate? I don't know, but my senses tell me Niysia made the difference. Her faith carried me through; her love still fuels my labor against final capitulation.

Suddenly, I saw her. I was sure it was Niysia, just inside the edge of the forest. She called to me and I saw her standing there on the bank just out of reach. I wanted to reach out to her, but my body refused to move. Instead, my mind filled with chaos. Terrible storms of derogatory memories reminded me of my life's failures, their voices so loud in my ears that her loving words were drowned out. It faded to into a numb drumbeat and then I heard them, viperwolves.

The day had come and gone as the daylight retreated from the sky…

My worst fears became my most gruesome nightmare. The viperwolves surrounded me. They hissed and whined with anticipation, with plans to dine on my still warm corpse. I listened as they frantically pulled at Pierre's body in the tree vines, and then circled Blood Stripe's remains as well. I wanted to scream. I tried to scream for help, but nothing came out. I tried to grip my blade, but my hand wouldn't move. I was so desperate to fight back, to survive, to make things right.

Just as I was sure they were going to strike, I felt a rumble in the ground. A sound I'd heard before, it was the roar of a Thanator. I'd always known fear was the prime ingredient of any nightmare, and this nightmare came with more fear than I'd ever known in any battle. I had changed my mind. I wanted to take it back, and I wanted to see Niysia again, no matter my failures, no matter the odds against me.

I heard a fierce battle, felt the ground shake under me. I heard the last words the young Marine Captain had said to me, "Semper Fi, Chief" but instead they came from the hissing roar of the Thanator as it stood right in front of me and pounded its paws on the riverbank. Then as sudden as its arrival, it vanished. The words meant "Always Faithful." Now, I wasn't sure if it was a dream or real, or was it both a dream and nightmare? My minds eye returned to the darkness as my eyes closed once again.

November 8, 2155, Pandora orbit…

The former U.N. supply ship "ISV Endurance," now called "New Hope," broke orbit and turned itself toward a new heading. She was fully loaded with unobtanium from the ore rich Hometree site and the last of the unobtanium stores they'd recovered from the Hell's Gate facility. As the engines glowed a stark red color the ship began to accelerate rapidly into deep space. It was headed home under new management.


	55. Ch54: Eywa's Resilience

**Chapter 54 – Eywa's Resilience **

Daybreak's first light illuminated the river basin…

I awoke with a sudden flinch that sent waves of pain through my bruised body. My eyes slowly opened and this time I was able to focus on my surroundings. Some of my strength had returned, thanks to the rest I'd unwillingly endured sprawled out along the riverbank.

My right hand ached as I forced myself to release my grip on the handle of the knife that lay in front of me. I wasn't sure how many hours I'd laid here, but daylight had finally come. I stretched my right hand several times to force the muscles to work, as I slowly lifted my head off the soft sandy riverbank. Sand and dried blood were caked all over my face.

I took in the view of the forest in front of me. I didn't see Pierre's body. The forest appeared frail and sick, no doubt a result of the blast wave. I noticed the forest and riverbank were littered with burnt flakes. It was fallout from the blast. It occurred to me, even thermobaric weapons cause fallout but thankfully it wasn't radioactive. The logic was cold, as I thought; they didn't mind all the death and destruction, as long as it didn't irradiate their precious ore. I muttered, "Damn their logic. Damn their bottom line. Damn me for not stopping them."

This was what defeat felt like. Along with the peculiar dreams and nightmares, a deep depression had taken hold of me. Waiting for reinforcements didn't seem like a viable option any longer and I was out of ideas. It seemed apparent now that no one was coming and the chances for the Na'vi to win this fight alone were non-existent.

While I lay there on the riverbank, daylight crept through the forest trees. I was fearful of what I would see once I stood up to go survey the damage. I doubt anyone at Fort Chacon could have survived a blast of that magnitude.

Just as I started to move my legs and lift myself off the sandy bank, I noticed hundreds of woodsprites float by overhead and into the sickly forest beyond. I thought it was incredible; Eywa's resilience maintains the balance of life. Just as many of those trees will die, new ones will rise to take their place in due time.

While my mind reached back to the lessons Niysia had taught me about Eywa, I noticed two woodsprites had floated down to caress my shoulder. They floated down my right arm, as I intently watched them. Niysia and I had patiently watched woodsprites float through the forest many times. They were beautiful, especially this morning with so much death in the air. Here was a pure spirit of life that had come to restore the balance of nature.

The woodsprites floated down and slowly hovered along my blade's edge, both of them bouncing up and down in the air several times along its edge. As I focused my attention on them, I lifted the blade, moving it back and forth. The woodsprites followed it even while the metal glimmered in the new beams of daylight that pierced the forest.

I recalled something Niysia had said during my lessons to become Omaticaya, "Eywa doesn't take sides; she only maintains the balance of life." She reminded me several times, that as a Na'vi I was now a part of that balance, as were all Na'vi. Eywa compels us to become one of the people, to take a lifemate, and then family.

My thoughts wondered aimlessly for a moment as I fantasized about what a family with Niysia would be like. A glimmer of light reflecting off the blade and blinded me for a second, then my focus returned to the knife and woodsprites. Just as they'd floated by, the woodsprites lifted themselves up onto the air to float toward the forest. I watched them float away and a moment of inception crept into my mind.

_I don't have to win. A stalemate for the Na'vi would be the same as victory. _

_The mere existence of balance was the endgame Eywa and the Na'vi needed. My eyes squinted as I stared at the knife blade in front of me. Its metal glimmered in the daylight and it occurred to me, despite Eywa's subtlety, I think she just asked me to make good on the promise. How or why? I can't explain it; I just know it. Niysia, Jake, Neytiri, all of my people are in need of someone capable of restoring the balance and somehow Eywa knows it's within my power._

_I am Omaticaya, but I'm also something else; I'm Eywa's Blade. I glanced skyward and thought, I may never know why, I just know you weren't here when Pandora needed you. I turned a cunning gaze back to the forest and realized it's time I put my head back in the game and when I'm finished these bloody humans will wish they'd never set foot on Pandora._

Despite my aches and pains, I struggled to pull myself off the ground and onto my hands and knees. Finally, after a few moments of rest on my knees I forced myself to stand. I sheathed my blade and dusted the sand off my chest, face, and legs. My head still felt a little dizzy but it was slowly clearing.

I focused on my surroundings and I was shocked at the scene before me. Pierre's body had been pulled down from the vines by viperwolves in the night and was mangled and mauled. Blood Stripe's body lay untouched and four lifeless viperwolves lay on the riverbank next to the edge of the forest. It was obvious the powerful claws of a Thanator had killed them. I reflected for a moment. What I thought was a dream really happened last night. I recalled once before a Thanator in the forest had saved my life. It was my spirit animal and once again it had proven to live in more than just the spirit world.

Before I departed the riverbank, I took the time to bury Pierre's body, the four viperwolves, and Blood Stripe together. Thankfully, the riverbank soil was soft and the digging was easy. Strangely, the digging helped my muscles limber up and fill stronger. My strength had begun to return as my head cleared. I knew I would need all of the strength and wits I could muster.

The fact that this burial incorporated the blood of both worlds didn't escape me. I caught one of the passing woodsprites that floated nearby and placed it in the hole with the bodies. I spoke aloud, "I see you, Brothers. Your spirits go with Eywa while your bodies remain behind to become a part of her life-giving forest. I thank you and will never forget the sacrifice you made here." I filled in the hole while I hummed an old Earth hymn my mother taught me when I was a boy. I couldn't recall many of the words, but the song seemed appropriate. The hymn was called "Amazing Grace."


	56. Ch55: Encounter

**Chapter 55 – Encounter**

Later that same day…

Going back wasn't an option. I cautiously approached what was left of Fort Chacon. It was a hellish scene, like nothing I'd ever witnessed. It had more in common now with its previous name, Hell's Gate. The landscape appeared alien and desolate the closer I got to the base. There was just no way a person's training could fully prepare them for this kind of death and destruction. It had to be experienced firsthand.

My watery eyes surveyed the damage through the dust-filled air, at least what I could see of it from my vantage point at the edge of the blast zone. I think the bomb exploded somewhere north of the base. It wasn't a direct hit, but when you're talking about a weapon of mass destruction, a direct hit becomes a subjective term. If it had landed further south, I probably wouldn't have survived.

As I got closer, the smell of chemical fires, scorched rubber, and burnt flesh nauseated my senses. The Na'vi's incredible olfactory senses made it even worse. Once I cleared the forestline and walked towards the base, I noticed the soil under my feet grew warmer. It was uncomfortable to my bare feet but I had to get closer. I needed to see all of the details for myself.

Finally, I reached the edge of the lingering dust cloud that obscured most of the smoldering base. I could see the silhouettes of a few buildings and wrecked shuttles, even a few AMP suits and Man-O-Wars twisted into mangled heaps of metal. I heard nothing, no indications of survivors or distress, just the wind and eerie silence all around me.

Even though the dust choked my throat, I faintly voiced my feelings "They're all gone. An entire battalion, wiped off the face of Pandora." I dropped to my knees; my arms spread wide, fists clenched. My throat cleared as I hissed an angry and frustrated scream into the air.

After a few moments, I reached down and grabbed a handful of charred dirt and just let it spill through my fingers. Tears rolled down my cheeks as the horror of the scene sank into my mind. The same painful memory James had allowed me to see now in all its terrible glory laid out for all to witness. It would be a dark memory that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

While I sat there, enduring the heat, my mind wondered what would happen next. I had listened closely to the stories of Toruk Makto and had been fearfully awestruck everytime I'd seen a Toruk in the skies. Jake was a Toruk Makto. Was it time for the Toruk Makto to return? No. It would be a bloodbath my brothers and sisters could not afford and I think Eywa knows it. I know why she saved me now and what must be done. Why she allowed this horror to happen, I'll never know. I just have to accept the fact that it has happened.

Then I muttered the words I feared most as I stared up into the sky, "We bollixed it up Marcus! We were responsible for all these people and we let them down. I let them down…" as my voice faltered. My face turned downward to stare at the ground. I continued, "Now I've got to make the rivers run red with even more blood in order to restore the balance." With my eyes closed, tears flowed down my cheeks as I cried.

After a couple of minutes, the burning sensation of the hot dirt on my skin brought me back to my senses. I realized I couldn't stay here any longer, the site needed to cool off. I eyed the remains of the shuttles; my mind had already started to build a plan and I knew I'd be back soon enough. I struggled to my feet and started the journey back to Hometree.

When I approached the tree line, I noticed something moving just inside the devastated forest. I couldn't make it out, but I could hear a slight oscillating hum. It was the hum of a manmade machine. I continued to approach the noise cautiously. I needed to know who they were, friend or foe.

What I found caught me by surprise. I climbed up onto one of the broken tree trunks at the edge of the tree line to get a better view into the forest beyond. When I did, I came face to face with the machine. I instinctively pulled my knife and took up a defensive posture. I was amazed how fast it moved.

Without any warning, two bright floodlights came on right in front of me. I was blinded for a second; I instinctively put my arms up in front of my face for protection from the blinding light. My eyes quickly adjusted and I realized there was a circular gyroscopic machine in front of me, with two large chain-fed machine guns trained directly at me. I could see the silhouette of a human inside the canopy at its center. A mechanical voice said, "Who goes there? Identify yourself!"

Once my vision cleared, I recognized the machine. It was a Recon-Sphere, designed for reconnaissance and other special ground missions. It was capable of traversing great distances across just about any terrain. Basically, it was made for Pandora and only the military were supposed to have them. I hoped that was still the case. I slowly placed my knife down on the tree trunk that I stood on and raised my hands into the air. From my military experience, I could vaguely recall the specifications on this machine and was pretty sure I couldn't escape a point blank encounter.

Dust still choked my throat, but I managed to say, "I'm Chief Nathan LeMay. Who the hell are you?"

After a few seconds the floodlights dimmed and the voice replied, "Staff Sergeant Greg Gordon, USMC, sir. We thought you were dead."

I just stood there a moment stunned, until it dawned on me he must have been on a distant patrol or come from the Bravo site.

I slowly lowered my arms and said, "Sergeant, what's your story? Have you found any other survivors?"

He replied, "Sir, Colonel Quaritch sent me to survey the damage, look for survivors and check for radiation."

I replied, "What have you found?"

The Sergeant scanned over his logs and instruments and replied, "I made a complete circle of the blast zone, no survivors or life signs. Except for you, of course. Based on my survey, it looks like the bomb detonated just to the north of the base. As for radiation, I've found a small pocket of hard radiation around the generator building, but since it collapsed in on itself, I think the rubble has bottled up most of it underground."

I interrupted him and said, "Damn, they were trying to get the fusion reactor back online when the bomb hit. It was probably restarting at the moment of detonation. Sorry, finish your report." He continued, "The rest of the base appeared to be nominally safe radiation-wise, but as you know, each of the shuttles had their own reactors. The shuttle fuselages are still intact, so I suspect their reactors scrammed, otherwise we'd have a lot more radiation in the environment. How long the area remains safe, is anybody's guess." I replied, "Good point."

I turned and looked out at the base. After a few moments of thought, I turned back to Sergeant Gordon. "Sergeant, were there any Man-O-Wars at the Bravo Site?" He replied, "Yes sir, there were two with us, but they're useless now." I interrupted, "Maybe not as useless as you think." I pointed toward the wreckage of Shuttle Alpha and said, "It's all tore up, but Shuttle Alpha was already zipped up when the bomb hit, so there may be something in there we can use, it just needs to cool off."

The Sergeant nodded in agreement as he replied in a pessimistic tone, "My wish list would include some batteries or a generator, but that's probably asking too much. Even with conservation, without power these toys won't last more than a couple of weeks." I chuckled, "I'll keep it in mind."

Then I grinned, "You talk like a career man, so I want you to know this isn't over, and I want you to tell that to the others when you get back. This battle is lost, and the odds stand against us, but the bloody war has just gotten started."

The Sergeant smiled and said, "Roger that, sir. Math was never my best subject. However, I am from Alabama and we tend to be stubborn at times, especially with so many dead friends here in need of some justice."

My head dropped and I stared at the ground a moment, then I looked back up at the man. My facial features hardened as I stated, "Yes, I know how you feel Greg, I've felt that way for a long time."

I glared at the Sergeant and continued, "I have a simple question for you." I pulled the broken throat mic off and dropped it to the ground as I picked up and sheathed my knife.

He replied, "I'm listening."

I asked, "Who do you see standing in front of you soldier?

Sergeant Gordon thought about his reply for a moment while he carefully surveyed the weary Na'vi that stood before him.

My arms hung down by my side, my fists clenched. I was still covered with dried river mud mixed with blood from the dozens of cuts that crisscrossed my body.

He finally replied with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "I see a pissed off Na'vi."

I just stood there with a blank expression, caught off guard by his brief reply.

After a short pause he continued, and his tone became more respectful, "That just happens to be my commanding officer on Pandora, sir!"

I chuckled and replied with a smirk across my face, "Thank you, Sergeant for your candid answer and detailed observation."

For a few moments I gazed out over the dust cloud and shadowy ruins of Fort Chacon. I mumbled to myself, "The atmosphere's going to be a bloody mess for several days thanks to this nightmare." I reflected in thought for a few more seconds and commented, "It's more than enough time for them to reach the flux zone."

Sergeant Gordon asked, "Flux zone?" The question went unanswered, while I stood silent in deep contemplation.

Finally, I turned back to the Sergeant and firmly stated, "I have new orders for you Sergeant. Advise Colonel Quaritch to consider what's left of his unit to be operational." The Sergeant's facial expression grew anxious because he knew what that meant. "I expect complete radio silence. Avoid contact with any Na'vi or humans, and don't come here again for any reason not even to bury the dead.

While I gave him the orders, Sergeant Gordon watched me carve a set of coordinates into the tree trunk with my knife. Then I walked up to the Sergeant's machine, climbed up onto it, opened a small box marked "Survival Kit" located just behind the canopy, and pulled out a self-igniting flare.

I paused again to think over my plan for a few more seconds and continued, "Lastly, I want you to memorize those coordinates and go there as covertly as possible. When you get there, keep your heads down and wait for me to come for you. You'll understand why, when you get there." I held up the flare, and then hooked it to my knife's sheath belt.

The Sergeant said, "I get the idea, sir."

I continued, "If all goes well on my end, I expect to rendezvous with you in about 16 or 17 days, give or take a day. Now burn those coordinates and let's get the hell out of here. Oh, and be sure to leave the bloody Man-O-Wars behind. Camouflage them with brush and mud so they can't be seen from the air. I have plans for them." The Sergeant replied with a stern nod.

For a few moments I contemplated what we'd discussed. I continued, "I think that should do it." I rapped on the canopy twice and got clear of the machine. We exchanged a salute and I added, "I want those bastards to believe there were no human survivors. Do you get me?" The Sergeant replied, "I get you, sir." I nodded, "Carry on, soldier."

The sergeant's machine guns fired several shots into the trunk and the numbers were gone. When he looked back, he only caught a glimpse of his Na'vi commander as he disappeared into the forest, headed in the direction of Hometree.

**The End of Part One.**


End file.
